Wentzville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Festus
Wentzville
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs85 · Top 3%
Growth
35 · Bottom 25%
vs64 · Top 27%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs70 · Bottom 49%
Physical resilience
40 · Bottom 31%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs100 · Top 8%
Schools
87 · Top 6%
vs62 · Top 37%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 26%
vs81 · Top 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Festus | Wentzville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,201 | 47,061 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,532 | $112,394 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,346 | $45,852 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,236/sq mi | 2,166/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $223,600 | $331,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $922 | $1,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.8% | 82.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.4% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% | 5.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 246 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 5.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -90.4% | -31.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 39.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.7 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.73 | 13.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 58.2% | 42.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 66.6% | 48.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.4% | 16.9% | 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.
Wentzville
Elevated or high exposure: hail, earthquake, inland flooding.
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
Wentzville
75
Your Score
73
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Festus, MO · Wentzville, MO · How this is calculated: methodology