Festus and University City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Festus
University City
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs73 · Top 17%
Growth
35 · Bottom 25%
vs70 · Top 16%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
40 · Bottom 31%
vs67 · Top 41%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs87 · Top 38%
Schools
87 · Top 6%
vs22 · Bottom 13%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 26%
vs53 · Bottom 35%
Measured values
| Metric | Festus | University City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,201 | 34,685 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,532 | $80,694 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,346 | $62,532 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,236/sq mi | 5,897/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $223,600 | $306,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $1,319 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.8% | 56.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.4% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% | 14.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 332 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 9.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -90.4% | 238.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 41.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.73 | 12.68 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 58.2% | 12.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 66.6% | 22.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.4% | 100.0% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Festus
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, earthquake, inland flooding.
University City
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.
Festus
66
Your Score
66
Area Score
University City
67
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Festus, MO · University City, MO · How this is calculated: methodology