Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety7#14,523/15,637
Economy7#14,532/15,631
Housing99#147/14,977
Health4#14,974/15,609
Healthcare2#15,400/15,650
Environment3#14,935/15,453
Education18#12,832/15,649
Infrastructure49#7,923/15,650
Community34#10,338/15,651
Leisure & amenities45#8,555/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Kennett, Missouri ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Dunklin County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low29.5%
97/100Missouri 45.6%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Public libraries · high3.0 /10k
96/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesDunklin County value
Rent as share of income · low24.7%
95/100Missouri 28.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Social associations · high15.9 /10k
93/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDunklin County value
Pharmacies · high2.6 /10k
92/100Missouri 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDunklin County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
89/100Missouri 3.3×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Average weekly wage · low$730
0/100Missouri $1,278United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDunklin County value
Job growth · low-7.1%
1/100Missouri 0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDunklin County value
Primary care shortage · high21.0
1/100Missouri 10.5United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationDunklin County value
Preventable hospital stays · high5,479 /100k
1/100Missouri 3,034 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDunklin County value
Life expectancy · low68.7 yrs
1/100Missouri 75.7 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDunklin County value
Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100Missouri 9.4United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationDunklin County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.2% (2015-2019) → 92.8% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
43.1% (2015-2019) → 29.5% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
36.3% (2015-2019) → 25.6% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$38,297 (2015-2019) → $52,500 (2020-2024)
+37%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
25.1% (2015-2019) → 19.1% (2020-2024)
−5.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
77.0% (2015-2019) → 81.3% (2020-2024)
+4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Kennett, Missouri improved on 6 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Inequality−0.0800.521 → 0.442
Rent burden−14 points43.1% → 29.5%
Child poverty−11 points36.3% → 25.6%
Poverty−5.9 points25.1% → 19.1%
Broadband+15 points78.2% → 92.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Kennett, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	17.0 min2015-2019	20.0 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Within the margin of error	19%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.2%2015-2019	15.6%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	78.2%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	78%
Child poverty rate	36.3%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	83%
Effective property tax rate	0.62%2015-2019	0.76%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	4%
High school diploma or higher	77.0%2015-2019	81.3%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	−0.3×	Within the margin of error	88%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5212015-2019	0.4422020-2024	−0.080	Improved	92%
Median household income	$38,2972015-2019	$52,5002020-2024	+37%	Within the margin of error	69%
Poverty rate	25.1%2015-2019	19.1%2020-2024	−5.9 points	Improved	84%
Rent as share of income	28.1%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Improved	76%
Rent-burdened households	43.1%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	88%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	18.3%2015-2019	16.8%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Kennett, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Kennett, Missouri in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Kennett, Missouri itself moved +7.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

10,196 residents (±291)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29†
10–19
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−2.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

10,196 residents (±291)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

White77%7,818
Black11%1,135
Hispanic or Latino1.9%†195
Asian0.8%†78
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races9.5%†970

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+6.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

6,908 residents (±309)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

No high school diploma19%1,290
High school or GED38%2,651
Some college19%1,285
Associate degree8.8%605
Bachelor's degree7.8%536
Graduate degree7.8%†541

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bachelor's degree (−5.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

4,244 households (±242)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k25%1,045
$25k–50k25%1,045
$50k–75k20%854
$75k–100k13%534
$100k–150k11%†457
$150k–200k4.5%†193
$200k or more2.7%†116

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−11.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

4,244 households (±242)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Own58%2,456
Rent42%1,788

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,591 households (±237)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $75063%1,004
$750–1,00017%†276
$1,000–1,50017%†277

Home values

2,456 homes (±256)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $150k68%1,662
$150k–250k22%†538
$250k–400k7.5%†185

Age of homes

4,888 homes (±232)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

2010 or later5.1%†248
2000–20094.7%†228
1980–199920%984

Size of homes

4,888 homes (±232)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Studio4.3%†211
1 bedroom11%†538
2 bedrooms27%1,311

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,867 workers (±346)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone79%3,048
Carpool15%579
Public transit0.2%†9
Walk2.0%†79
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.5%†136
Other0.4%†16

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Bike (−1.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,731 workers (±338)

Kennett, Missouri
Missouri share

Under 15 min55%2,070
15–29 min16%602
30–44 min12%†447

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Kennett, MO

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Dunklin County, the county holding most of Kennett's residents.

Dunklin County has 606 employer establishments, 224 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.92× Missouri's), with 6,786 paid employees at an average annual pay of $36,867. The Census Bureau also counts 1,827 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 606; 1,827 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 224; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 6,786
Average annual pay: $36,867; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Dunklin County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	53	19.6	1.07×About typical	707	$17,069	10
Ambulatory health care services	44	16.2	0.78×Fewer than typical	604	$56,290	38
Individual and family services	42	15.5	5.54×More than typical	592	$24,400	3
Religious organizations	37	13.7	2.46×More than typical	101	$15,564	—
Truck transportation	27	10	1.97×More than typical	194	$57,979	68
Full-service restaurants	25	9.2	1.20×About typical	203	$17,704	5
Limited-service restaurants	24	8.9	1.10×About typical	481	$17,131	3
Gasoline stations	19	7	2.16×More than typical	547	$23,320	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	14	5.2	1.03×About typical	25	$42,320	56
Specialty trade contractors	14	5.2	0.33×Fewer than typical	138	$91,312	115
General merchandise stores	13	4.8	2.72×More than typical	430	$30,884	12
Insurance agencies and brokerages	13	4.8	1.09×About typical	33	$38,818	31

Rank places for an industry Open Dunklin County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 27,082 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Kennett, Missouri: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

69KFY2017
76.5KFY2018
2.3KFY2021
-1.5KFY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Kennett, Missouri, so they do not add up across cities.

Kennett, Missouri's figures are part of those of Dunklin County, MO ($5.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Kennett is mostly in Dunklin County.

See federal money in Dunklin County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Kennett, Missouri is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jason SmithR-MO-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Dunklin County13100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Kennett, MO7

Other cities and towns in Dunklin County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2938306