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 2026
St. Charles County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Missouri. And you should avoid Wayne 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 2026
1. St. Charles County
Biggest Place: O’Fallon
Population: 414,535
Median Income: $104,692 (best)
Median Home Price: $366,406 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (26th best)
More on St. Charles County: Data
2. Platte County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 110,371
Median Income: $96,227 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $386,137 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (20th best)
More on Platte County: Data
3. Osage County
Biggest Place: Belle
Population: 13,402
Median Income: $76,681 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $260,766 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (6th best)
More on Osage County: Data
4. Andrew County
Biggest Place: Savannah
Population: 18,065
Median Income: $75,625 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $292,855 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (48th best)
More on Andrew County: Data
5. Christian County
Biggest Place: Springfield
Population: 92,915
Median Income: $83,437 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $313,158 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (40th best)
More on Christian County: Data
6. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Arnold
Population: 229,458
Median Income: $82,851 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $290,756 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (35th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
7. Cole County
Biggest Place: Jefferson City
Population: 77,032
Median Income: $74,876 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $280,483 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (27th best)
More on Cole County: Data
8. Clay County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 258,122
Median Income: $88,468 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $315,755 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (57th best)
More on Clay County: Data
9. Cass County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 110,773
Median Income: $87,535 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $338,098 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (7best)
More on Cass County: Data
10. St. Louis County
Biggest Place: Florissant
Population: 995,569
Median Income: $82,936 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $316,151 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (8best)
More on St. Louis 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 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Missouri.
Read on to see why St. Charles County is the best county, while Wayne County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Missouri.
Summary: The Best Counties In Missouri To Call Home For 2026
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, Andrew County, Christian County, Jefferson County, Cole County, Clay County, Cass County, and St. Louis 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:
- Wayne County
- Pemiscot County
- Dunklin County
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
- Safest Places In Missouri
- Best Counties To Live In Missouri
- Richest Cities In Missouri
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Missouri
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Charles County | 414,535 | $104,692 | $366,406 |
| 2 | Platte County | 110,371 | $96,227 | $386,137 |
| 3 | Osage County | 13,402 | $76,681 | $260,766 |
| 4 | Andrew County | 18,065 | $75,625 | $292,855 |
| 5 | Christian County | 92,915 | $83,437 | $313,158 |
| 6 | Jefferson County | 229,458 | $82,851 | $290,756 |
| 7 | Cole County | 77,032 | $74,876 | $280,483 |
| 8 | Clay County | 258,122 | $88,468 | $315,755 |
| 9 | Cass County | 110,773 | $87,535 | $338,098 |
| 10 | St. Louis County | 995,569 | $82,936 | $316,151 |
| 11 | Warren County | 37,177 | $81,209 | $331,588 |
| 12 | Ste. Genevieve County | 18,571 | $66,339 | $253,788 |
| 13 | Lincoln County | 63,057 | $89,278 | $308,176 |
| 14 | Cape Girardeau County | 82,735 | $68,464 | $245,092 |
| 15 | Clinton County | 21,414 | $70,627 | $286,444 |
| 16 | Lafayette County | 33,115 | $80,612 | $243,026 |
| 17 | Dekalb County | 10,876 | $69,826 | $233,724 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 105,950 | $73,165 | $264,893 |
| 19 | Boone County | 188,043 | $72,758 | $327,639 |
| 20 | Caldwell County | 8,927 | $64,806 | $244,689 |
| 21 | Gasconade County | 14,746 | $64,232 | $235,328 |
| 22 | Chariton County | 7,390 | $71,520 | $117,247 |
| 23 | Ralls County | 10,428 | $65,388 | $253,566 |
| 24 | Johnson County | 54,732 | $67,272 | $280,797 |
| 25 | Ray County | 23,145 | $74,573 | $260,455 |
| 26 | Camden County | 43,667 | $66,387 | $314,096 |
| 27 | Howard County | 10,147 | $65,938 | $232,615 |
| 28 | Callaway County | 44,741 | $74,176 | $264,041 |
| 29 | Cooper County | 16,824 | $70,625 | $240,297 |
| 30 | Greene County | 303,375 | $61,479 | $254,958 |
| 31 | Nodaway County | 20,774 | $59,315 | $220,506 |
| 32 | Pulaski County | 53,894 | $64,466 | $225,352 |
| 33 | Macon County | 15,163 | $62,357 | $185,235 |
| 34 | Holt County | 4,240 | $61,187 | $157,847 |
| 35 | Bollinger County | 10,559 | $63,814 | $192,650 |
| 36 | Monroe County | 8,734 | $54,516 | $223,193 |
| 37 | Montgomery County | 11,426 | $65,500 | $220,701 |
| 38 | Stone County | 32,048 | $63,520 | $316,883 |
| 39 | Marion County | 28,457 | $62,903 | $192,171 |
| 40 | Daviess County | 8,477 | $63,984 | $287,275 |
| 41 | Putnam County | 4,642 | $63,510 | $202,874 |
| 42 | Maries County | 8,450 | $59,455 | $248,943 |
| 43 | Linn County | 11,852 | $61,635 | $144,272 |
| 44 | Jackson County | 719,976 | $68,577 | $246,135 |
| 45 | Atchison County | 5,187 | $58,750 | $145,411 |
| 46 | Mercer County | 3,482 | $62,679 | $139,850 |
| 47 | Moniteau County | 15,262 | $65,715 | $231,571 |
| 48 | Livingston County | 14,364 | $63,627 | $190,537 |
| 49 | Perry County | 18,976 | $62,981 | $224,005 |
| 50 | Schuyler County | 4,038 | $61,205 | $172,278 |
| 51 | Phelps County | 45,194 | $58,396 | $229,918 |
| 52 | Shelby County | 5,986 | $51,594 | $192,335 |
| 53 | Sullivan County | 5,857 | $56,964 | $95,748 |
| 54 | Dade County | 7,641 | $53,750 | $197,188 |
| 55 | Carroll County | 8,411 | $62,154 | $164,473 |
| 56 | Henry County | 22,328 | $57,926 | $221,454 |
| 57 | Webster County | 40,500 | $71,155 | $260,886 |
| 58 | Newton County | 60,118 | $66,301 | $242,430 |
| 59 | Scott County | 37,933 | $62,782 | $159,683 |
| 60 | Scotland County | 4,686 | $68,913 | $129,623 |
| 61 | Worth County | 1,934 | $47,847 | $110,333 |
| 62 | Adair County | 25,301 | $61,536 | $187,347 |
| 63 | Saline County | 23,231 | $57,931 | $177,112 |
| 64 | Lewis County | 9,924 | $59,934 | $204,648 |
| 65 | Shannon County | 7,177 | $55,222 | $190,477 |
| 66 | Polk County | 32,444 | $59,647 | $268,065 |
| 67 | Taney County | 56,529 | $56,497 | $247,667 |
| 68 | Jasper County | 124,357 | $60,694 | $212,444 |
| 69 | Pike County | 17,711 | $54,989 | $215,605 |
| 70 | Buchanan County | 83,568 | $62,158 | $189,269 |
| 71 | Miller County | 25,269 | $56,736 | $270,632 |
| 72 | Knox County | 3,756 | $57,788 | $190,315 |
| 73 | St. Louis City | 288,512 | $56,160 | $225,577 |
| 74 | Cedar County | 14,615 | $48,181 | $228,645 |
| 75 | Bates County | 16,186 | $60,733 | $219,869 |
| 76 | Pettis County | 43,397 | $60,430 | $193,122 |
| 77 | Randolph County | 24,365 | $53,033 | $176,844 |
| 78 | Barry County | 35,033 | $58,346 | $240,818 |
| 79 | Clark County | 6,675 | $51,781 | $174,083 |
| 80 | St. Francois County | 66,999 | $57,477 | $193,368 |
| 81 | Lawrence County | 38,593 | $61,215 | $202,571 |
| 82 | St. Clair County | 9,587 | $53,043 | $179,434 |
| 83 | Benton County | 20,151 | $52,567 | $188,776 |
| 84 | Barton County | 11,690 | $51,635 | $185,001 |
| 85 | Washington County | 23,470 | $56,043 | $184,052 |
| 86 | Gentry County | 6,245 | $55,848 | $130,750 |
| 87 | Madison County | 12,729 | $54,434 | $169,792 |
| 88 | Morgan County | 21,717 | $53,412 | $286,046 |
| 89 | Harrison County | 8,190 | $54,367 | $133,202 |
| 90 | Crawford County | 22,797 | $57,629 | $222,831 |
| 91 | Audrain County | 24,548 | $59,448 | $184,383 |
| 92 | Stoddard County | 28,470 | $57,957 | $148,244 |
| 93 | Dallas County | 17,551 | $53,464 | $235,067 |
| 94 | Dent County | 14,539 | $56,312 | $192,563 |
| 95 | Laclede County | 36,390 | $53,282 | $234,638 |
| 96 | Iron County | 9,446 | $48,850 | $152,577 |
| 97 | Douglas County | 11,965 | $45,985 | $235,303 |
| 98 | Vernon County | 19,687 | $52,230 | $175,200 |
| 99 | Grundy County | 9,787 | $51,975 | $115,055 |
| 100 | New Madrid County | 15,731 | $51,881 | $96,623 |