Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Missouri a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Missouri.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Show Me State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Missouri, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 115 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Missouri For 2024
St. Charles County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Missouri. And you should avoid Dunklin County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Missouri. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Missouri and the cheapest places to live in Missouri.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Missouri For 2024
1. St. Charles County
Biggest Place: O’Fallon
Population: 406,262
Median Income: $99,596 (best)
Median Home Price: $331,696 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (3best)
More on St. Charles County: Data
2. Platte County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 107,033
Median Income: $92,543 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $351,816 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (39th best)
More on Platte County: Data
3. Osage County
Biggest Place: Linn
Population: 13,374
Median Income: $70,313 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $246,145 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0% (2nd best)
More on Osage County: Data
4. Clay County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 253,085
Median Income: $82,264 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $293,194 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (5best)
More on Clay County: Data
5. Cole County
Biggest Place: Jefferson City
Population: 76,890
Median Income: $70,667 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $242,890 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (30th best)
More on Cole County: Data
6. St. Louis County
Biggest Place: Florissant
Population: 999,703
Median Income: $78,067 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $297,251 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (59th best)
More on St. Louis County: Data
7. Andrew County
Biggest Place: Savannah
Population: 18,069
Median Income: $68,774 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $243,559 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (54th best)
More on Andrew County: Data
8. Christian County
Biggest Place: Springfield
Population: 89,568
Median Income: $75,787 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $290,594 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (38th best)
More on Christian County: Data
9. Cass County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 108,205
Median Income: $82,473 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $300,643 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (64th best)
More on Cass County: Data
10. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Arnold
Population: 226,984
Median Income: $77,217 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $251,310 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (4best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Missouri county is the best?
To give you the best county in Missouri, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Missouri across each of the criteria from one to 115, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Missouri.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Show Me State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Missouri.
Read on to see why St. Charles County is the best county, while Dunklin County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Missouri.
Summary: The Best Counties In Missouri To Call Home For 2024
Living in Missouri can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Missouri are St. Charles County, Platte County, Osage County, Clay County, Cole County, St. Louis County, Andrew County, Christian County, Cass County, and Jefferson County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Missouri according to the data:
- Dunklin County
- Pemiscot County
- Wayne County
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Missouri
- Best Places To Buy A House In Missouri
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
- Best Counties To Live In Missouri
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Missouri
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Charles County | 406,262 | $99,596 | $331,696 |
| 2 | Platte County | 107,033 | $92,543 | $351,816 |
| 3 | Osage County | 13,374 | $70,313 | $246,145 |
| 4 | Clay County | 253,085 | $82,264 | $293,194 |
| 5 | Cole County | 76,890 | $70,667 | $242,890 |
| 6 | St. Louis County | 999,703 | $78,067 | $297,251 |
| 7 | Andrew County | 18,069 | $68,774 | $243,559 |
| 8 | Christian County | 89,568 | $75,787 | $290,594 |
| 9 | Cass County | 108,205 | $82,473 | $300,643 |
| 10 | Jefferson County | 226,984 | $77,217 | $251,310 |
| 11 | Lafayette County | 32,858 | $78,397 | $209,259 |
| 12 | Franklin County | 104,858 | $70,111 | $240,561 |
| 13 | Lincoln County | 60,172 | $82,543 | $272,403 |
| 14 | Ste. Genevieve County | 18,494 | $61,215 | $235,513 |
| 15 | Cape Girardeau County | 81,703 | $65,070 | $219,330 |
| 16 | Boone County | 184,043 | $66,564 | $287,445 |
| 17 | Dekalb County | 11,838 | $67,910 | $207,808 |
| 18 | Ray County | 23,122 | $69,779 | $232,307 |
| 19 | Gasconade County | 14,801 | $62,638 | $194,087 |
| 20 | Warren County | 35,729 | $75,531 | $296,528 |
| 21 | Clinton County | 21,155 | $66,494 | $251,411 |
| 22 | Johnson County | 54,025 | $62,503 | $263,150 |
| 23 | Callaway County | 44,517 | $70,599 | $218,065 |
| 24 | Ralls County | 10,356 | $62,615 | $213,516 |
| 25 | Marion County | 28,525 | $62,492 | $161,324 |
| 26 | Nodaway County | 21,140 | $53,917 | $203,177 |
| 27 | Jackson County | 715,526 | $65,169 | $225,075 |
| 28 | Pulaski County | 53,726 | $62,541 | $200,223 |
| 29 | Cooper County | 16,893 | $62,239 | $216,490 |
| 30 | Greene County | 299,188 | $54,968 | $234,021 |
| 31 | Carroll County | 8,513 | $59,101 | $133,055 |
| 32 | Saline County | 23,219 | $55,396 | $150,445 |
| 33 | Holt County | 4,274 | $55,153 | $137,660 |
| 34 | Livingston County | 14,402 | $58,772 | $157,904 |
| 35 | Daviess County | 8,418 | $59,706 | $230,328 |
| 36 | Camden County | 43,227 | $59,834 | $324,968 |
| 37 | Chariton County | 7,417 | $61,910 | $119,411 |
| 38 | Montgomery County | 11,421 | $58,660 | $180,728 |
| 39 | Stone County | 31,314 | $58,392 | $328,679 |
| 40 | Macon County | 15,173 | $54,113 | $166,216 |
| 41 | Howard County | 10,142 | $59,023 | $194,115 |
| 42 | Atchison County | 5,270 | $58,521 | $125,256 |
| 43 | Perry County | 18,970 | $61,486 | $201,496 |
| 44 | Moniteau County | 15,401 | $66,792 | $205,427 |
| 45 | Newton County | 59,019 | $60,313 | $209,803 |
| 46 | Linn County | 11,892 | $58,435 | $122,593 |
| 47 | Miller County | 24,855 | $53,490 | $241,759 |
| 48 | Schuyler County | 4,066 | $53,728 | $137,497 |
| 49 | Harrison County | 8,190 | $51,809 | $112,982 |
| 50 | Putnam County | 4,698 | $50,950 | $174,372 |
| 51 | Worth County | 1,982 | $43,536 | $105,003 |
| 52 | Phelps County | 44,843 | $53,242 | $188,090 |
| 53 | Caldwell County | 8,876 | $58,269 | $193,660 |
| 54 | Shelby County | 6,049 | $50,387 | $150,332 |
| 55 | Monroe County | 8,668 | $50,245 | $177,477 |
| 56 | Webster County | 39,265 | $65,103 | $247,713 |
| 57 | Mercer County | 3,517 | $55,592 | $120,449 |
| 58 | Polk County | 31,877 | $54,487 | $245,582 |
| 59 | Taney County | 56,202 | $54,467 | $253,038 |
| 60 | Barry County | 34,701 | $55,592 | $219,359 |
| 61 | Sullivan County | 5,983 | $53,438 | $72,731 |
| 62 | Maries County | 8,454 | $56,491 | $220,852 |
| 63 | Scott County | 38,055 | $54,621 | $139,951 |
| 64 | Pettis County | 43,059 | $57,581 | $176,419 |
| 65 | Scotland County | 4,720 | $58,656 | $115,677 |
| 66 | Clark County | 6,693 | $53,362 | $125,639 |
| 67 | Gentry County | 6,219 | $53,799 | $98,678 |
| 68 | Jasper County | 122,788 | $54,963 | $202,292 |
| 69 | Henry County | 22,064 | $54,903 | $185,856 |
| 70 | Shannon County | 7,132 | $46,767 | $165,082 |
| 71 | Adair County | 25,299 | $51,020 | $169,627 |
| 72 | St. Louis City | 298,018 | $52,941 | $207,504 |
| 73 | Buchanan County | 84,544 | $58,303 | $153,905 |
| 74 | Pike County | 17,719 | $53,363 | $171,303 |
| 75 | Madison County | 12,649 | $54,042 | $154,629 |
| 76 | Bollinger County | 10,658 | $52,306 | $172,664 |
| 77 | Iron County | 9,538 | $53,401 | $135,777 |
| 78 | Knox County | 3,772 | $49,167 | $130,554 |
| 79 | St. Clair County | 9,330 | $43,483 | $150,771 |
| 80 | Bates County | 16,101 | $54,122 | $185,706 |
| 81 | Randolph County | 24,652 | $51,480 | $151,516 |
| 82 | Laclede County | 36,060 | $49,202 | $209,619 |
| 83 | St. Francois County | 66,814 | $53,083 | $168,887 |
| 84 | Lewis County | 9,987 | $49,779 | $154,068 |
| 85 | Vernon County | 19,777 | $53,318 | $144,682 |
| 86 | Cedar County | 14,314 | $43,589 | $190,866 |
| 87 | Lawrence County | 38,231 | $52,225 | $178,760 |
| 88 | Audrain County | 24,873 | $51,745 | $145,486 |
| 89 | Morgan County | 21,169 | $48,841 | $266,874 |
| 90 | Crawford County | 23,023 | $52,367 | $198,604 |
| 91 | Benton County | 19,616 | $50,229 | $166,396 |
| 92 | Dent County | 14,509 | $51,410 | $175,104 |
| 93 | Dallas County | 17,158 | $46,547 | $215,109 |
| 94 | Dade County | 7,598 | $46,806 | $162,479 |
| 95 | Douglas County | 11,803 | $47,848 | $208,967 |
| 96 | Stoddard County | 28,656 | $51,703 | $132,260 |
| 97 | Washington County | 23,580 | $49,364 | $159,656 |
| 98 | Barton County | 11,683 | $48,105 | $171,440 |
| 99 | Carter County | 5,299 | $45,737 | $113,229 |
| 100 | Hickory County | 8,452 | $33,302 | $178,483 |