The 10 Best Places To Live In Missouri For 2024

The 10 Best Places To Live In Missouri For 2024

More on Glendale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The results are in and for the second year in a row, Glendale is Missouri’s best city. A small suburb of St. Louis, Glendale’s motto is “residents’ welfare above all else,” which gets to the heart of what the city is all about. The crime rate in Glendale is about 75% lower than the national average and ranks as the 6th lowest in Missouri. And if you do get banged up somehow, medical bills shouldn’t sink you because 99.8% of residents have health coverage.

Poverty and unemployment rates are both extremely low in Glendale, sitting at 2.7% and 0.8% respectively, both of which rank in the top ten statewide. Of course, it’s much easier to find good employment when you’ve got a solid education, which plays out in the super-smart Glendale. About three-quarters of residents have a college degree, with a whopping 40% having a master’s degree or higher as well. Big degrees lead to big paychecks because Glendale’s residents enjoy the 5th highest median household income in Missouri at $157,750/year. These big salaries are kind of a necessity when you consider that the cost of living in Glendale is about 30% higher than the statewide average. Housing costs alone are more than twice as expensive as your average city in Missouri, with homes going for around $505,640 and rent for roughly $1,855/month. 95% of Glendale buys instead of rents and with home prices increasing by about 5% annually, it does seem like a smart investment.

While Glendale doesn’t have much in the way of entertainment on its own, its close proximity to St. Louis means you can be at nationally famous landmarks like the Gateway Arch in no time flat.

More on Ladue: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

If you do you in Ladue, you’ll be la-doing just fine. This affluent inner-ring suburb of St. Louis has a whole lot going for it. We’ll start with the affluent part; Ladue is the richest place in Missouri, with residents bringing home around $250,001/year on average, the highest median household income in Missouri. Being hyper-wealthy helps offset a cost of living that outstrips the statewide average by 90%, with housing costs more than 325% higher than Missouri’s average. Since having a good job or lots of money pretty much guarantees you’ll have health insurance, it makes sense that Ladue has the 2nd highest rate of coverage in Missouri at 99.1%.

Rest assured that the taxes on all this cash go worthwhile projects. Like keeping Tilles Park a top-quality community space, especially during the Christmas season when it becomes a Winter Wonderland. Ladue also spends about 60% more per student than the statewide average, and that investment pays off in higher test scores and graduation rates, as well as three local schools winning a National Blue Ribbon Award for excellence. The investment in the city’s future comes from a community that has first-hand experience with the importance of education. After all, 80% of adults in Ladue finished college and 45% of folks have a master’s, PhD, or professional degree to boot.

Don’t worry about finding a job in Ladue either; at 1.3%, Ladue has the 6th lowest unemployment rate in Missouri. And very few are left in the dust of Ladue’s money-storm, considering that the poverty rate of 1.2% is the 2nd lowest in the state.

More on Clayton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Clayton is a St. Louis suburb of 17,212 with an air of sophistication. High quality, locally-owned restaurants, bars, and cafes are found tucked between boutique shops, historic homes, and the gorgeous Shaw Park. Clayton hosts the St. Louis Art Fair and A Taste of Clayton, a festival of arts, music, and food, each year, so come ready to celebrate if you’re moving to Clayton. Like other top cities on this list, the cost of living in Clayton is nothing to sneeze at, but we think having clean, safe streets filled with wholesome activities is worth every penny.

With a median age of 27, Clayton is the youngest city to make this list. That combined with the title of most densely populated city in Missouri means that Clayton is probably the most vibrant and dynamic place to be in the whole state. If you decide to buy a home in Clayton, it will set you back about $754,588. However, as a very young city, about 40% of the population chooses to rent instead and a typical rental price is $1,570/month, not much higher than the average rent in Missouri.

Last but not least, Clayton takes education about as seriously as you can. Clayton School District outspends your average Missouri city by 170% per student, has a very low student-teacher ratio of 11:1, a GreatSchools average rating of 8/10, three elementary schools with National Blue Ribbon Awards, and a high school that’s won a College Success Award for two years running. There’s really nowhere better to send your children to school in Missouri than Clayton.

More on Ballwin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Ballwin is a southwestern suburb of St. Louis with a population of 30,948. While we’ve mostly been dealing with some undeniably pricey cities, the cost of living in Ballwin is only slightly higher than the national average, so it’s a good balance of quality and affordability. Homes are the cheapest of anywhere on this list, with a median price tag of $379,084. That may explain why 80% of residents choose to buy instead of rent. You don’t need a whole lot of property to have easy access to outdoor spaces in Ballwin either. If you’re just looking for a bit of green in the middle of your day, Queeny Park is always a good option. But if you’d rather spend a full day following the winding Meramec River on foot or by mountain bike, then Castlewood State Park is where you’ll want to be.

You won’t have much to worry about in terms of criminal activity in Ballwin, seeing as the crime rate is about 70% lower than the national average and ranks as the 7th lowest of anywhere in Missouri. I’m no expert, but the fact that Ballwin also has the 25th lowest poverty rate in the state at 5.3% may be a factor in the super-low crime rate.

More on Webster Groves: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis with a population of 23,838. Old homes and an eclectic mix of architectural styles imbue this leafy enclave with a relaxed atmosphere. Home to Webster University and the the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Webster Groves has plenty going on without the need to make the 15 minute trek to downtown St. Louis. It’s one of the reasons that HomeSnacks and Family Circle Magazine have included Webster Groves on compilations of the best cities for families in Missouri. Of course, having a superb educational system that spends more per student and consistently scores higher on tests and graduation rates than the statewide average also helps.

Nearly a third of residents have a master’s degree or higher, which helps residents achieve their status as the 19th best-paid populace in the state, with a median household income of $105,930/year. Educated folks with plenty of cash on hand don’t have much reason to go around committing felonies, so Webster Groves’ crime rate being about 70% lower than the national average and ranking as the 17th lowest in Missouri also makes sense. As a bonus, 97.8% of Webster Groves residents have health insurance, making unwelcome medical surprises a little less scary here.

More on Creve Coeur: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Creve Coeur is a city in western St. Louis County well-known for being a key node for technology, life and biosciences, and medical services. Residents of Creve Coeur enjoy the 14th highest median household income in Missouri at $115,120/year. The even better news? Household income went up by nearly 9% in the last year of available data, so you can expect Creve Coeur’s income ranking to keep rising. The value of property isn’t rising nearly as fast as income, with your typical Creve Coeur home already going for 8th most expensive price statewide at $536,873 and rent going for around $1,424/month.

The poverty level in Creve Coeur is a measly 5.2%, the 24th lowest in Missouri. That means everyone gets in on the economic success story in Creve Coeur. Creve Coeur is home to a lovely Antique Mall, but if you’re a sports fan, chances are you’re more likely to make the 20-minute drive to watch a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

More on Des Peres: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Des Peres is another great place to live in Missouri about 20 miles west of St. Louis off 270. It’s a family friendly town with easy commutes to the city and surrounding major suburbs. The Des Peres Park is gorgeous, with a big duck pond, and several sports fields. And, I can tell you from personal experience, Bello’s Bakery & Pastries has some of the best donuts in the area. There’s also plenty of shopping around as the West County Mall is located in town.

Housing is 4th highest in the state, which means that a ton of people want to live here. And you can see that people are willing to pay for a piece of real estate as incomes are 3rd highest in the state too. Des Peres is part of the Kirkwood school system, which consistently ranks in the top five for Missouri. Add to that a low crime rate, and you have a perennial contender for best place to live in Missouri.

More on Cottleville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cottleville in St. Charles County is an ideal place to live with its high 130,139 median income and low 1.6 unemployment rate. Established in 1839 and named after Captain Lorenzo Cottle, the city ranks as the 8th best place in Missouri.

With a population of 5,584, Cottleville’s safety is top-notch. It’s 4th lowest for violent crime and lowest for property crime in the state. The average commute time is 23 minutes, allowing for an excellent work-life balance. Additionally, the city’s historical sites and popularity for destination weddings contribute to its charm.

More on Chesterfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

With a population of 49,645, Chesterfield is the most populous of the west St. Louis suburbs. Nicknamed “the City of Volunteers,” Chesterfield’s residents know how to pitch in to continually improve their community. The gorgeous Faust Park is a local favorite, especially if you have time to wander around the Butterfly House or take a ride on the carousel. The Chesterfield Amphitheatre is always putting on events and shopaholics will be delighted by the wide breadth of options at Chesterfield Mall.

In Chesterfield, crime is low, paychecks are high, and people generally have health insurance. Both of Chesterfield’s high schools received a College Success Award from GreatSchools, so you know your kiddo(s) will be all set when it comes time to move into a dorm. Poverty and unemployment rates are both among the lowest in Missouri, sitting at 3.9% and 3.1% respectively. Homes in Chesterfield go for around $498,560, while a typical rental will set you back about $1,405/month. That’s actually quite reasonable when you’ve got the 9th highest median household income in Missouri at $137,052/year.

More on Kirkwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Next up on our list of the premier places to live in Missouri is Kirkwood, yet another inner-ring suburb of St. Louis (we’re starting to see a pattern here). A historic railroad community, Kirkwood has blossomed into a fully-fledged city of 29,309 with loads of opportunities for dining and shopping in hip, local shops with funky names like Rusted Chandelier. Kirkwood is a highly-walkable community with fourteen parks, an amazing farmer’s market, and a bustling downtown that regularly holds events for everything from cars to guitars to peaches. All this densely-packed activity is one of the reasons we named Kirkwood one of the best places to retire in Missouri. And while Kirkwood may have been beaten out by Webster Groves on this list, they still have the chance to take home the trophy after the annual Turkey Day football game between the two cities, an event that’s been going on for over a century.

While the cost of living in Kirkwood is about 15% higher than the statewide average, most of that is due to the higher cost of housing. Rent goes for around $1,217/month, while your typical Kirkwood home will set you back around $414,629. These higher housing prices are worth every penny, though. Crime in Kirkwood is about 40% below the national average, with violent crime being especially uncommon. Three of the five local elementary schools have received national awards and Kirkwood High has roughly 20% higher proficiency scores than the statewide average and a graduation rate over 99%. With unemployment and poverty also quite low, Kirkwood is a stand-out city for retirees, working adults, and students alike.

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Missouri

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in Missouri across a number of criteria from one to 124, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Missouri.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher is better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking Missouri’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Missouri. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Glendale at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Best Places To Live In Missouri Table