Is Matthews, MO a Good Place to Live?
Matthews is a small town of 569 in Missouri, with a median household income of $41,484 and a 5.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Matthews stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (A), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Matthews is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Matthews city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 87.3Matthews's overall cost of living index is 87.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Matthews costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Matthews, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $76,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $700 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $41,484 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeMatthews's violent crime rate is 803.2 per 100,000 residents — 111% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Matthews is served primarily by NEW MADRID CO. R-I. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Matthews, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | NEW MADRID CO. R-I | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 0.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 71.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Matthews sees average highs of 44.2°F in January and 91.4°F in July, with 49.6 inches of annual precipitation and 3.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Matthews, MO |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 44.2°F |
| Average High — July | 91.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Matthews, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 569 | — |
| Median Age | 44.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Matthews
Matthews, MO is covered by 1 ZIP code: