The Town FilesKearney, Missouri
City in Clay County · population 10,404 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $298,400
- Household income
- $103,622
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 19 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 29
- Median age
- 39.3
Kearney is a city of 10,404 people in Clay County, Missouri. The median home is worth $298,400, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for families than 90% of Missouri towns, more upscale than 88% of Missouri towns, easier by car than 87% of Missouri towns.
How Kearney ranks
Percentile among Missouri towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Missouri towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Kearney is worth $298,400, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $103,622, which is more affordable than 43% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $1,251 a month. 74.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Kearney | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $298,400 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $1,251 | $855 |
| Median household income | $103,622 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 74.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 2002 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Kearney
| People | Kearney | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 5.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.3% | — |
| Work from home | 15.2% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.5% | 88.7% |
Weather in Kearney
July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 41.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 19.4 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 37 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
29 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kearney since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 12 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 4, 1977 about 9.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 16, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 176 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on September 13, 1965.
Severe weather in Clay County since 1996
Clay County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
| July 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| August 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4238: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| June 30, 2011 | Flood | EM-3325: Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Clay County
Clay County had 111,855 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,093 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Kearney itself the ACS puts it at 2.6%.
Public schools in Kearney
9 public schools with 3,500 students, about 13.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEARNEY HIGH | 10-12 | 804 | 14.1 |
| KEARNEY MIDDLE | 6-7 | 558 | 13.0 |
| KEARNEY JR. HIGH | 8-9 | 534 | 14.8 |
| SOUTHVIEW ELEM. | K-5 | 458 | 15.3 |
| DOGWOOD ELEM. | K-5 | 437 | 14.6 |
| HAWTHORNE ELEM. | K-5 | 265 | 12.6 |
| KEARNEY ELEM. | PK-5 | 240 | 12.6 |
| LENS | 3-5 | 127 | 15.9 |
| KEARNEY EARLY EDUCATION CENTER | PK-PK | 77 | 11.0 |
Towns near Kearney
- Excelsior Springs, MO6.4 mi · 10,553 people · home $186,800
- Liberty, MO8.5 mi · 30,167 people · home $283,300
- Lawson, MO9.1 mi · 2,541 people · home $186,000
- Pleasant Valley, MO11.6 mi · 2,743 people · home $202,000
- Smithville, MO11.7 mi · 10,406 people · home $290,600
- Gladstone, MO14.5 mi · 27,063 people · home $231,500
- Sugar Creek, MO15.1 mi · 3,271 people · home $136,600
- Buckner, MO17.7 mi · 2,945 people · home $197,600
Kearney questions
Is Kearney, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kearney scores better for retirees than 41% of Missouri towns and quieter than 44%. 18.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.3).
How much does a house cost in Kearney?
The median owner-occupied home in Kearney is valued at $298,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $103,622, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $1,251 a month.
What is the weather like in Kearney?
July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.2 inches of precipitation a year and 19.4 inches of snow.
Does Kearney get tornadoes?
29 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kearney since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 4, 1977. The typical Missouri town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)