Concord vs Grain Valley

Which is the better fit for you?

Concord, MO
69
Area Score
Top 17% nationally
Grain Valley, MO
67
Area Score
Top 22% nationally

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Concord receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Concord to Grain Valley

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Everyday prices
2% lower
Regional price level 93.2 against 95.0 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$270 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,490 in Grain Valley against $1,220 in Concord.
The median home
7% less
$283,800 in Grain Valley against $303,600 in Concord.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 22°F in Grain Valley against 24°F in Concord; July highs are 88°F against 89°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

36 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Concord
Grain Valley
Opportunity: Grain Valley is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs
74 · Top 18%
Growth: Concord is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
43 · Bottom 34%
vs
29 · Bottom 14%
Climate
72 · Top 40%
vs
72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience: Grain Valley is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
67 · Top 41%
vs
72 · Top 34%
Housing affordability: Concord is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
84 · Top 7%
vs
81 · Top 10%
Schools: Concord is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
68 · Top 27%
vs
64 · Top 31%
Access: Concord is the more favorable of the two.
Access
95 · Top 39%
vs
82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability: Concord is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
78 · Top 7%
vs
70 · Top 23%

Measured values

MetricConcordGrain ValleySource period
Population18,36816,2712024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$89,038 ±$7,581$89,649 ±$7,5232024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$46,846 — more favorable$39,4432024 ACS 5-Year
Population density3,342/sq mi2,641/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$303,600$283,8002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,215 — more favorable$1,3982024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,220 — more favorable$1,490FY2026
Cost of living index95.093.2 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate86.0%65.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1%3.8% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+0.5%+0.8% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher42.0% — more favorable27.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate3.8% ±2%9.0% ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)957012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.0 — more favorable0.012 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+25.3%−100.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high89°F88°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low24°F22°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation40.8"38.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport16 mi — more favorable33 miNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate26.2 min ±1.4 min27.5 min ±1.6 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age43.535.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools682024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.312.8 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency53.6% — more favorable46.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency58.6%59.4% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility21.0%23.4%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

3 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Concord

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Grain Valley

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Concord
—
Concord: Your Score
69
Area Score
Grain Valley
—
Grain Valley: Your Score
67
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Concord, MO · Grain Valley, MO · How this is calculated: methodology