Fulton and Sedalia 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
Fulton
Sedalia
Opportunity
69 · Top 23%
vs53 · Bottom 44%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs54 · Top 43%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 48%
vs70 · Top 36%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 17%
vs94 · Top 22%
Schools
52 · Top 49%
vs65 · Top 33%
Access
42 · Bottom 2%
vs40 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
33 · Bottom 10%
vs45 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Fulton | Sedalia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,617 | 22,003 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $51,429 | $50,990 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $25,045 | $27,726 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,023/sq mi | 1,464/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $155,900 | $143,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $836 | $877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.2% | 56.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.7% | 0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 19.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 91 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | -26.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.4" | 36.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 85 mi | 89 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.0 min | 16.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.9 | 37.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.50 | 13.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.1% | 48.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.5% | 47.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.3% | 64.7% | 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
Fulton
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Sedalia
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave.
Full profiles: Fulton, MO · Sedalia, MO · How this is calculated: methodology