Independence remains recognized for the Truman Library & Museum, with exhibitions detailing the life and career of the former U.S. president and hometown hero. At the Frontier Trails Museum, artifacts and wagon tours illustrate the pioneer era, while the nearby Community of Christ Temple has a visitors center tracing the area’s Mormon heritage. Several casual restaurants are serving Italian and American comfort food. The division seat of Missouri’s Jackson County, Independence is most notable for being the birthplace and home of Harry S. Truman, the nation’s 33rd President. The city is surrounded by several major highways, including Interstates I-70 and I-435; U.S. Routes 24 and 40; and Missouri State Highways 210 and 291. Independence, Missouri, has a current population of 115,982 based on our projections of the latest U.S. statistics estimates. According to the most up-to-date data on the expense of living, Independence has an overall expense. Living in Independence ranks as #1,706 most affordable out of the 6,522 communities we measured in Missouri.