Dardenne Prairie receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wentzville
Dardenne Prairie
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs87 · Top 2%
Growth
64 · Top 27%
vs63 · Top 27%
Climate
70 · Bottom 49%
vs70 · Bottom 49%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs91 · Bottom 48%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs89 · Top 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Wentzville | Dardenne Prairie | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,061 | 13,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,394 | $152,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,852 | $59,373 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,166/sq mi | 2,530/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $331,300 | $432,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,444 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.5% | 91.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.2% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.6% | 55.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 1.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 246 | 72 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 5.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -31.1% | -16.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.8" | 39.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.4 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 42.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Wentzville
Elevated or high exposure: hail, earthquake, inland flooding.
Dardenne Prairie
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.
Wentzville
75
Your Score
73
Area Score
Dardenne Prairie
79
Your Score
76
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Wentzville, MO · Dardenne Prairie, MO · How this is calculated: methodology