CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.21° N · 94.56° W · GEOID 2927190

Gladstone

Clay County, Missouri · part of the Kansas City, MO metro

MissouriGladstone, MOGladstoneGladstone

The short answer

Gladstone is home to 27,207 people. Median household income is $79,271 a year and median rent is $1,088 a month, 16.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $231,500, about 2.9x annual median household income.

Gladstone stands out on value for money. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 90 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Also notable: Home value growth is 9.9% a year, against 7.8% a year in its closest peers.

76OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Gladstone scores better than 76% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 50th of 140 in Missouri.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%80
Economy 20%66
Safety 20%35
Amenities 15%60
Education 10%49
Commute 10%64
Growth 5%70
Median gross rent
$1,088
20% below the median place
Median household income
$79,271
1% below the median place
Median home value
$231,500
28% below the median place
Unemployment
3.3%
32% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Gladstone

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Mehlville, MO, Hazelwood, MO and White Bear Lake, MN), household income growth here is higher: 6.1% a year against a typical 4.4% a year.
01

Moving to Gladstone

Clay County gains about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in14,839
Moved out13,894
Net+945

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Jackson County, MO3,7793,254+525
Platte County, MO2,6442,420+224
Ray County, MO434528−94
Clinton County, MO314446−132
Cass County, MO180196−16

Within Missouri, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MissouriOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$61K
Leavers$65K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Clay County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Clay County report $61,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $64,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$43,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,088 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,570 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $231,500.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 14.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Effingham, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.8%
16% below the median place
Moved from another state1
2.0%
4% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
4.4
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.8%16% below
Moved from another state12.0%4% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure4.4above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$61,12713% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$64,9188% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 16.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 86% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Gladstone16.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$43,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.5%
19% below the median place
Home price to income
2.9x
23% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$70,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gladstone, $1,088 a month, and local prices for everything else (93.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gladstone, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gladstone on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Effingham, IL9612.0% vs 16.5%n/aCompare
Wheelersburg, OH9213.0% vs 16.5%n/aCompare
Highland, IL9112.4% vs 16.5%$2,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Gladstone.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gladstone? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
43.1%
15% below the median place
Median home value1
$231,500
28% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,570
16% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,08820% below
Rent to income116.5%19% below
Property tax rate11.1%18% above
Home price to income12.9x23% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.58% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,5464% below
HUD area median income4County figure$113,4006% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,47724% below
Median home value1$231,50028% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.8%43% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure53.8%4% above
Homeownership168.4%3% above
Renters paying 30%+143.1%15% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,57016% below
Vacant homes15.7%19% below
Median year built119730% below
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 3.3%, 32% below the median place.

Unemployment1
3.3%
32% below the median place
Mean commute1
23 min
8% below the median place
Works from home1
14.7%
18% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$43,839 +9%
Median household income$79,271 −1%
Poverty rate11.0% +2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$79,2711% below
Income per person1$43,8399% above
Unemployment13.3%32% below
Average annual pay6County figure$64,8602% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.8%24% below
Jobs6County figure110,83026% below
Poverty rate111.0%2% above
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home114.7%18% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.2%81% below
04

Who lives here

Household size is 2.3, 8% below the median place.

Household size1
2.3
8% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.9%
4% below the median place
Median age1
41.9
7% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance9.1% +42%
High school or higher94.1% +2%
Born abroad7.3% −17%
Bachelor's or higher31.7% −1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population127,2071699th largest
Population change since 202071.6%41% above
Median age141.97% above
Bachelor's or higher131.7%1% below
High school or higher194.1%2% above
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad17.3%17% below
No health insurance19.1%42% above
Homes with broadband188.9%4% below
05

Life in Gladstone

Public schools here have 12 students per teacher, fewer than in 90% of the 819 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Atkins-Johnson Farmhouse Property listed 2007

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents8.8 −13%
Playgrounds per 10k19.9 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k2.9 +39%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k16.5 +48%
Libraries per 10k0.7 −15%
Named paths and bike trails12 km 6.1×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.0 4.7×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Harry S. Truman National Historic Site 22 miles
  • Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park 61 miles
  • Fort Scott National Historic Site 95 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.1 −13%
Shops24.1 −20%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.5 −15%
Doctors' offices and clinics20.5 +1%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher14
12.0
22% below the median place
Public school students14
2,949
40% below the median place
Public schools14
7
22% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14722% below
Public school students142,94940% below
Students per teacher1412.022% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure18.113% below
Shops per 10k9County figure24.120% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.515% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure20.51% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k108.813% below
Playgrounds per 10k1019.9111% above
Grocery stores per 10k102.939% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1016.548% above
Libraries per 10k100.715% below
Named paths and bike trails1012.2above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi101.0371% above
Nearest National Park Service site1121.630% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 325, 69% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
325
69% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,433
18% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Hurricane risk16
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Tornado risk16
96.2
18% above the median place
January average low15
20°F
22% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGladstoneAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure88°F1% above
January average low15County figure20°F22% below
Average temperature15County figure55°F1% below
Annual precipitation15County figure39.4 in10% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure89.83% below
Hurricane risk16County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk16County figure96.218% above
Wildfire risk16County figure69.113% above
Heat wave risk16County figure96.77% above
Median air quality index17County figure422% below
Good air days17County figure74.4%9% above
08

Gladstone in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Gladstone does better than 78% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 74%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,088/mo (2024)$1,390/mo$1,140 to $1,690/mo+4.1%
Median household income$79,271 (2024)$100,500$85,000 to $119,000+4.1%
Median home value$231,500 (2024)$338,000$245,000 to $465,000+6.5%
Population27,497 (2025)27,96026,820 to 29,150+0.3%

The median home would be worth 3.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Gladstone

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Baldwin, PA$1,066$80,983Compare
Timberlake, VA$1,083$75,657Compare
Gardiner, ME$1,113$71,782Compare
Black Jack, MO$1,166$78,331Compare
Black Jack, MOGardiner, METimberlake, VABaldwin, PAGladstone, MOGladstoneBaldwinTimberlakeGardinerBlack JackGladstoneBaldwinTimberlakeGardinerBlack Jack

Places built like Gladstone

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Gladstone performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Gladstone, MO16.5%6.1%/yr1.6%
Mehlville, MO19.1%2.9%/yrn/aCompare
Hazelwood, MO21.4%0.5%/yr-2.4%Compare
White Bear Lake, MN23.0%3.1%/yr-6.0%Compare
Hastings, MN15.1%5.7%/yr1.8%Compare
Raytown, MO21.2%5.5%/yr-2.5%Compare
Washington, MO12.5%5.4%/yr8.6%Compare

Common questions

Is Gladstone a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 76 out of 100, better than 76% of the places we rate and 50th of 140 in Missouri. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Mehlville, MO, Hazelwood, MO and White Bear Lake, MN), household income growth here is higher: 6.1% a year against a typical 4.4% a year. On cost, space and class size it scores 77 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gladstone expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $231,500.

What salary do you need to live in Gladstone?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $43,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Gladstone safe?

There were 325 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Gladstone?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Baldwin, PA, Timberlake, VA, Gardiner, ME and Black Jack, MO.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Gladstone with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gladstone itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gladstone-missouri

Citytistics. “Gladstone, Missouri.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gladstone-missouri/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.