The Town Files

Hillsboro, Missouri

City in Jefferson County · population 3,473 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hillsboro is in MissouriHillsboro
Median home
$221,200
Household income
$77,500
Jan low / Jul high
22° / 88°
Snow a year
9 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
19
Median age
30.8

Hillsboro is a city of 3,473 people in Jefferson County, Missouri. The median home is worth $221,200, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for families than 77% of Missouri towns, more upscale than 76% of Missouri towns.

Hillsboro in our rankings:

How Hillsboro 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.

Hillsboro lifestyle rankings vs other Missouri townsRetirement37th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet45th pctWalkability22nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals65th pctVibrancy45th pctHip & trendy16th pctCollege town66th pctUpscale76th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit62nd pctDriving41st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hillsboro is worth $221,200, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $77,500, which is more affordable than 43% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $973 a month. 71.5% of households own their home.

Hillsboro vs Jefferson County vs typical Missouri townHillsboroJefferson CountyTypical Missouri townHome value$221,200$237,200$153,900Household income$77,500$82,851$56,368Monthly rent$973$979$855
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Missouri towns with 500+ people.
HousingHillsboroTypical Missouri town
Median home value$221,200$153,900
Median rent$973$855
Median household income$77,500$56,368
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.7×
Homeownership71.5%67.4%
Median year built19961972
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Hillsboro

PeopleHillsboroTypical Missouri town
Median age30.838.6
Age 65 and over11.2%17.7%
Under 1827.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.5%18.9%
Below the poverty line11.7%14.6%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.1.0%—
Work from home11.0%7.9%
Average commute33.8 min23.1 min
Homes with broadband97.8%88.7%

Weather in Hillsboro

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 22.3°F. About 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.1 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 105 nights at or below freezing.

Hillsboro monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing41°22°Jan46°25°Feb56°34°Mar68°44°Apr76°54°May85°63°Jun88°67°Jul87°65°Aug81°57°Sep70°46°Oct56°35°Nov45°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.73.82.51.84.02.24.90.24.84.73.83.63.42.83.50.12.81.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Festus station (9.2 mi away); snow from De Soto (7.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hillsboro since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 22, 1981 about 5.2 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 1 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 19, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hillsboro by decade01950s41960s21970s21980s11990s22000s32010s52020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 102 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 12, 1981.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail253Heat33Flood15Drought10Tornado24High Wind6Lightning8Heavy Snow13
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 10 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 21, 2025Severe StormDR-4867: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3482: Covid-19
July 9, 2019Severe StormDR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
June 2, 2017FloodDR-4317: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 49,458 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,615 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Hillsboro itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyRetail7,630 jobs · $35,215Health care & social assistan…7,044 jobs · $55,815Hotels & restaurants6,433 jobs · $21,809Construction4,282 jobs · $70,068Manufacturing4,221 jobs · $68,591Administrative & support2,432 jobs · $44,884
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Hillsboro

13 public schools with 6,521 students, about 23.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Missouri Virtual AcademyK-122,652—
HILLSBORO HIGH9-121,12416.8
HILLSBORO PRIMARYK-268114.5
HILLSBORO JR. HIGH7-850016.1
HILLSBORO ELEM.3-446715.6
HILLSBORO MIDDLE ELEM.5-644715.4
GRANDVIEW HIGH9-1223613.9
GRANDVIEW ELEM.PK-42279.9
GRANDVIEW MIDDLE5-815211.7
NEW DAY - DAY TREATMENT6-122412.0
JUVENILE DETENTION CTR.1-121111.0
JEFFERSON COLLEGE10-12——

Towns near Hillsboro

Hillsboro questions

Is Hillsboro, Missouri a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hillsboro scores better for retirees than 37% of Missouri towns and quieter than 45%. 11.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.8).

How much does a house cost in Hillsboro?

The median owner-occupied home in Hillsboro is valued at $221,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $77,500, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $973 a month.

What is the weather like in Hillsboro?

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 22.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.6 inches of precipitation a year and 9.1 inches of snow.

Does Hillsboro get tornadoes?

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hillsboro since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 22, 1981. The typical Missouri town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hillsboro's Census boundary (GEOID 2932248). Comparisons use the median of Missouri towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.