The Town Files

Sugar Creek, Missouri

City in Jackson County · population 3,271 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Map: where Sugar Creek is in MissouriSugar Creek
Median home
$136,600
Household income
$62,165
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 87°
Snow a year
13 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
28
Median age
40.2

Sugar Creek is a city of 3,271 people in Jackson County, Missouri. The median home is worth $136,600, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for cycling than 100% of Missouri towns, more walkable than 88% of Missouri towns.

Sugar Creek in our rankings:

How Sugar Creek 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.

Sugar Creek lifestyle rankings vs other Missouri townsRetirement8th pctFamilies24th pctQuiet39th pctWalkability88th pctFirst-time buyers60th pctYoung professionals48th pctVibrancy66th pctHip & trendy65th pctCollege town35th pctUpscale34th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling100th pctTransitbottomDriving33rd 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 Sugar Creek is worth $136,600, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $62,165, which is more affordable than 77% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $1,155 a month. 74.7% of households own their home.

Sugar Creek vs Jackson County vs typical Missouri townSugar CreekJackson CountyTypical Missouri townHome value$136,600$230,500$153,900Household income$62,165$68,577$56,368Monthly rent$1,155$1,197$855
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Missouri towns with 500+ people.
HousingSugar CreekTypical Missouri town
Median home value$136,600$153,900
Median rent$1,155$855
Median household income$62,165$56,368
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.7×
Homeownership74.7%67.4%
Median year built19531972
Seasonal / vacation homes1.9%—

Who lives in Sugar Creek

PeopleSugar CreekTypical Missouri town
Median age40.238.6
Age 65 and over14.9%17.7%
Under 1824.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.0%18.9%
Below the poverty line14.6%14.6%
Veterans9.2%—
Born outside the U.S.2.7%—
Work from home4.0%7.9%
Average commute23.9 min23.1 min
Homes with broadband97.2%88.7%

Weather in Sugar Creek

July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 19.2°F. About 44.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 13.2 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 31 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 113 nights at or below freezing.

Sugar Creek monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing38°19°Jan43°23°Feb55°33°Mar65°43°Apr74°54°May83°64°Jun87°68°Jul86°66°Aug78°57°Sep67°45°Oct53°34°Nov42°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.53.61.92.62.91.74.40.26.05.35.15.14.83.50.42.41.21.83.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Independence station (5.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sugar Creek since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 4, 2003 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 3, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Sugar Creek by decade11950s41960s51970s01980s31990s82000s42010s32020s
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 276 times; the largest was 5.50 inches on September 18, 2010.

Severe weather in Jackson County since 1996

Storm events in Jackson County since 1996 by typeHail492Heat29Flood68Drought28Tornado23Ice Storm13Heavy Rain11Heavy Snow14
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jackson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 79 deaths recorded.

Jackson County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3482: Covid-19
July 9, 2019Severe StormDR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
August 7, 2015Severe StormDR-4238: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
June 30, 2011FloodEM-3325: Flooding

Jobs and pay in Jackson County

Jackson County had 375,574 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,613 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Sugar Creek itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.

Largest industries in Jackson CountyHealth care & social assistan…55,968 jobs · $64,756Hotels & restaurants36,151 jobs · $29,510Professional & technical serv…35,385 jobs · $116,086Retail35,000 jobs · $38,947Manufacturing28,511 jobs · $79,552Construction22,554 jobs · $89,872
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jackson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Jackson 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Sugar Creek

2 public schools with 413 students, about 15.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
ABRAHAM MALLINSON ELEMENTARY2-527514.5
SUGAR CREEK ELEM.PK-113817.3

Towns near Sugar Creek

Sugar Creek questions

Is Sugar Creek, Missouri a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sugar Creek scores better for retirees than 8% of Missouri towns and quieter than 39%. 14.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).

How much does a house cost in Sugar Creek?

The median owner-occupied home in Sugar Creek is valued at $136,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,165, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,155 a month.

What is the weather like in Sugar Creek?

July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 19.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.7 inches of precipitation a year and 13.2 inches of snow.

Does Sugar Creek get tornadoes?

28 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sugar Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 4, 2003. The typical Missouri town has had 23.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sugar Creek's Census boundary (GEOID 2971368). 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.