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 2025
- St. Charles County
- Platte County
- Osage County
- Clay County
- Cole County
- St. Louis County
- Christian County
- Andrew County
- Jefferson County
- Cass County
St. Charles County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Missouri. And you should avoid Pemiscot 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 2025
1. St. Charles County
Biggest Place: O’Fallon
Population: 409,830
Median Income: $102,912 (best)
Median Home Price: $296,800 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (23rd best)
More on St. Charles County:
2. Platte County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 108,751
Median Income: $95,748 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $317,600 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (4best)
More on Platte County:
3. Osage County
Biggest Place: Linn
Population: 13,379
Median Income: $75,355 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $205,700 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (5th best)
More on Osage County:
4. Clay County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 255,566
Median Income: $86,150 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $256,400 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (5best)
More on Clay County:
5. Cole County
Biggest Place: Jefferson City
Population: 76,924
Median Income: $73,273 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $214,400 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (28th best)
More on Cole County:
6. St. Louis County
Biggest Place: Florissant
Population: 996,618
Median Income: $81,340 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $260,700 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (65th best)
More on St. Louis County:
7. Christian County
Biggest Place: Springfield
Population: 91,229
Median Income: $81,245 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $249,700 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (42nd best)
More on Christian County:
8. Andrew County
Biggest Place: Savannah
Population: 18,086
Median Income: $74,007 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $196,200 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (55th best)
More on Andrew County:
9. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Arnold
Population: 228,227
Median Income: $80,522 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $218,800 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (43rd best)
More on Jefferson County:
10. Cass County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 109,393
Median Income: $87,413 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $269,000 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (79th best)
More on Cass County:
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 2025. 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 Pemiscot County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Missouri.
Summary: The Best Counties In Missouri To Call Home For 2025
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, Christian County, Andrew County, Jefferson County, and Cass 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:
- Pemiscot County
- Wayne County
- Dunklin County
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Missouri
- Safest Places In Missouri
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Missouri
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Charles County | 409,830 | $102,912 | $296,800 |
| 2 | Platte County | 108,751 | $95,748 | $317,600 |
| 3 | Osage County | 13,379 | $75,355 | $205,700 |
| 4 | Clay County | 255,566 | $86,150 | $256,400 |
| 5 | Cole County | 76,924 | $73,273 | $214,400 |
| 6 | St. Louis County | 996,618 | $81,340 | $260,700 |
| 7 | Christian County | 91,229 | $81,245 | $249,700 |
| 8 | Andrew County | 18,086 | $74,007 | $196,200 |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 228,227 | $80,522 | $218,800 |
| 10 | Cass County | 109,393 | $87,413 | $269,000 |
| 11 | Cape Girardeau County | 82,180 | $68,912 | $208,300 |
| 12 | Lincoln County | 61,636 | $85,276 | $224,800 |
| 13 | Lafayette County | 32,974 | $79,091 | $200,300 |
| 14 | Warren County | 36,467 | $77,989 | $241,200 |
| 15 | Franklin County | 105,316 | $71,973 | $214,900 |
| 16 | Gasconade County | 14,774 | $65,096 | $168,900 |
| 17 | Ste. Genevieve County | 18,551 | $61,310 | $215,600 |
| 18 | Boone County | 185,874 | $69,913 | $254,100 |
| 19 | Ray County | 23,149 | $72,152 | $187,400 |
| 20 | Dekalb County | 11,176 | $69,093 | $167,500 |
| 21 | Clinton County | 21,259 | $70,625 | $204,300 |
| 22 | Johnson County | 54,331 | $67,123 | $221,400 |
| 23 | Cooper County | 16,835 | $67,548 | $197,100 |
| 24 | Marion County | 28,493 | $63,908 | $158,100 |
| 25 | Callaway County | 44,541 | $72,645 | $196,200 |
| 26 | Chariton County | 7,406 | $63,307 | $118,900 |
| 27 | Holt County | 4,254 | $58,516 | $122,300 |
| 28 | Ralls County | 10,394 | $62,054 | $153,400 |
| 29 | Pulaski County | 53,850 | $66,435 | $189,700 |
| 30 | Camden County | 43,416 | $62,927 | $270,700 |
| 31 | Greene County | 301,121 | $57,488 | $203,500 |
| 32 | Perry County | 18,947 | $63,356 | $189,400 |
| 33 | Nodaway County | 20,959 | $55,970 | $165,100 |
| 34 | Howard County | 10,141 | $62,628 | $145,300 |
| 35 | Stone County | 31,697 | $61,323 | $236,500 |
| 36 | Montgomery County | 11,422 | $61,042 | $171,300 |
| 37 | Jackson County | 717,021 | $67,178 | $213,300 |
| 38 | Caldwell County | 8,890 | $62,520 | $156,700 |
| 39 | Moniteau County | 15,303 | $65,161 | $168,300 |
| 40 | Macon County | 15,163 | $58,318 | $127,000 |
| 41 | Atchison County | 5,216 | $59,260 | $100,600 |
| 42 | Saline County | 23,177 | $56,566 | $139,600 |
| 43 | Linn County | 11,850 | $61,975 | $117,300 |
| 44 | Webster County | 39,868 | $69,731 | $219,100 |
| 45 | Livingston County | 14,330 | $60,148 | $138,300 |
| 46 | Phelps County | 44,948 | $55,427 | $194,900 |
| 47 | Maries County | 8,435 | $61,359 | $193,100 |
| 48 | Mercer County | 3,501 | $60,357 | $95,300 |
| 49 | Carroll County | 8,459 | $61,712 | $110,500 |
| 50 | Scotland County | 4,698 | $67,568 | $141,100 |
| 51 | Pettis County | 43,205 | $60,232 | $161,500 |
| 52 | Taney County | 56,382 | $58,258 | $203,800 |
| 53 | Newton County | 59,490 | $64,583 | $175,300 |
| 54 | Putnam County | 4,675 | $56,875 | $111,600 |
| 55 | Benton County | 19,887 | $52,200 | $164,700 |
| 56 | Shelby County | 6,011 | $52,127 | $86,200 |
| 57 | Adair County | 25,224 | $56,583 | $159,500 |
| 58 | Harrison County | 8,198 | $53,364 | $107,400 |
| 59 | Daviess County | 8,449 | $60,665 | $149,200 |
| 60 | Scott County | 37,967 | $58,847 | $143,700 |
| 61 | Bollinger County | 10,591 | $57,286 | $142,400 |
| 62 | Monroe County | 8,672 | $48,299 | $147,400 |
| 63 | Dade County | 7,627 | $49,899 | $157,200 |
| 64 | Worth County | 1,956 | $46,167 | $94,600 |
| 65 | Shannon County | 7,137 | $59,000 | $151,000 |
| 66 | Polk County | 32,109 | $56,686 | $189,600 |
| 67 | Schuyler County | 4,044 | $56,023 | $118,200 |
| 68 | Sullivan County | 5,903 | $55,500 | $103,300 |
| 69 | St. Louis City | 293,109 | $55,279 | $185,100 |
| 70 | Gentry County | 6,224 | $57,458 | $123,000 |
| 71 | Miller County | 25,081 | $55,172 | $169,800 |
| 72 | Randolph County | 24,524 | $55,310 | $141,900 |
| 73 | Buchanan County | 83,855 | $59,423 | $156,600 |
| 74 | Jasper County | 123,532 | $57,525 | $158,500 |
| 75 | Cedar County | 14,440 | $45,577 | $162,500 |
| 76 | Henry County | 22,194 | $56,621 | $153,500 |
| 77 | Barry County | 34,831 | $56,611 | $172,900 |
| 78 | Pike County | 17,623 | $57,572 | $129,400 |
| 79 | St. Clair County | 9,451 | $46,731 | $142,500 |
| 80 | Clark County | 6,680 | $51,458 | $117,600 |
| 81 | Madison County | 12,665 | $58,435 | $155,900 |
| 82 | Dent County | 14,506 | $54,306 | $149,700 |
| 83 | Crawford County | 22,890 | $56,345 | $166,000 |
| 84 | Bates County | 16,121 | $57,914 | $154,800 |
| 85 | Stoddard County | 28,547 | $54,067 | $135,400 |
| 86 | St. Francois County | 66,864 | $54,813 | $155,100 |
| 87 | Dallas County | 17,344 | $53,177 | $151,200 |
| 88 | Lewis County | 9,945 | $52,340 | $118,900 |
| 89 | Morgan County | 21,430 | $49,663 | $180,400 |
| 90 | Iron County | 9,482 | $51,161 | $113,000 |
| 91 | Vernon County | 19,713 | $54,519 | $136,700 |
| 92 | Lawrence County | 38,392 | $55,849 | $159,800 |
| 93 | Grundy County | 9,822 | $53,839 | $107,000 |
| 94 | Audrain County | 24,688 | $56,232 | $121,600 |
| 95 | Carter County | 5,269 | $45,083 | $147,600 |
| 96 | Douglas County | 11,850 | $49,828 | $164,400 |
| 97 | Washington County | 23,483 | $51,886 | $118,400 |
| 98 | Laclede County | 36,245 | $50,825 | $158,000 |
| 99 | Barton County | 11,685 | $49,503 | $136,000 |
| 100 | New Madrid County | 16,041 | $49,237 | $105,500 |