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.
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.
$104,692 median income · 2.9% unemployment
$96,227 median income · 2.7% unemployment
$76,681 median income · 1.7% unemployment
$75,625 median income · 3.6% unemployment
$83,437 median income · 3.4% unemployment
$82,851 median income · 3.2% unemployment
$74,876 median income · 2.9% unemployment
$88,468 median income · 3.8% unemployment
$87,535 median income · 4.2% unemployment
$82,936 median income · 4.3% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Missouri’s statewide median.
Missouri statewide median: $70,702
Missouri statewide median: $263,040
Missouri statewide median: 4.0%
On the map
Where Missouri’s best counties are
Saturday Night Science
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.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Missouri
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| 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 | $292,856 |
| 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 | $280,484 |
| 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 | $253,789 |
| 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 | $243,027 |
| 17 | DeKalb County | 10,876 | $69,826 | $233,725 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 105,950 | $73,165 | $264,893 |
| 19 | Boone County | 188,043 | $72,758 | $327,640 |
| 20 | Caldwell County | 8,927 | $64,806 | $244,690 |
| 20 | Gasconade County | 14,746 | $64,232 | $235,328 |
| 22 | Chariton County | 7,390 | $71,520 | $117,248 |
| 23 | Ralls County | 10,428 | $65,388 | $253,566 |
| 24 | Johnson County | 54,732 | $67,272 | $280,798 |
| 25 | Ray County | 23,145 | $74,573 | $260,455 |
| 26 | Camden County | 43,667 | $66,387 | $314,097 |
| 27 | Howard County | 10,147 | $65,938 | $232,616 |
| 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 | $225,353 |
| 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 | $223,194 |
| 37 | Montgomery County | 11,426 | $65,500 | $220,702 |
| 38 | Stone County | 32,048 | $63,520 | $316,884 |
| 39 | Marion County | 28,457 | $62,903 | $192,172 |
| 40 | Daviess County | 8,477 | $63,984 | $287,275 |
| 41 | Putnam County | 4,642 | $63,510 | $202,875 |
| 42 | Linn County | 11,852 | $61,635 | $144,272 |
| 42 | Maries County | 8,450 | $59,455 | $248,943 |
| 44 | Jackson County | 719,976 | $68,577 | $246,135 |
| 45 | Atchison County | 5,187 | $58,750 | $145,412 |
| 46 | Mercer County | 3,482 | $62,679 | $139,851 |
| 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 | $172,279 |
| 51 | Phelps County | 45,194 | $58,396 | $229,919 |
| 52 | Shelby County | 5,986 | $51,594 | $192,336 |
| 53 | Sullivan County | 5,857 | $56,964 | $95,749 |
| 54 | Dade County | 7,641 | $53,750 | $197,189 |
| 55 | Carroll County | 8,411 | $62,154 | $164,473 |
| 56 | Henry County | 22,328 | $57,926 | $221,455 |
| 57 | Webster County | 40,500 | $71,155 | $260,887 |
| 58 | Newton County | 60,118 | $66,301 | $242,431 |
| 59 | Scott County | 37,933 | $62,782 | $159,684 |
| 60 | Scotland County | 4,686 | $68,913 | $129,624 |
| 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 | $190,478 |
| 66 | Polk County | 32,444 | $59,647 | $268,066 |
| 67 | Taney County | 56,529 | $56,497 | $247,668 |
| 68 | Jasper County | 124,357 | $60,694 | $212,445 |
| 69 | Pike County | 17,711 | $54,989 | $215,605 |
| 70 | Buchanan County | 83,568 | $62,158 | $189,270 |
| 70 | Miller County | 25,269 | $56,736 | $270,633 |
| 72 | Knox County | 3,756 | $57,788 | $190,316 |
| 73 | St. Louis city | 288,512 | $56,160 | $225,577 |
| 74 | Cedar County | 14,615 | $48,181 | $228,646 |
| 75 | Bates County | 16,186 | $60,733 | $219,870 |
| 76 | Pettis County | 43,397 | $60,430 | $193,123 |
| 76 | 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 |
| 79 | St. Francois County | 66,999 | $57,477 | $193,368 |
| 81 | Lawrence County | 38,593 | $61,215 | $202,572 |
| 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 |
| 85 | Gentry County | 6,245 | $55,848 | $130,750 |
| 87 | Madison County | 12,729 | $54,434 | $169,792 |
| 88 | Morgan County | 21,717 | $53,412 | $286,047 |
| 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 |
| 91 | Stoddard County | 28,470 | $57,957 | $148,245 |
| 93 | Dallas County | 17,551 | $53,464 | $235,068 |
| 94 | Dent County | 14,539 | $56,312 | $192,564 |
| 95 | Laclede County | 36,390 | $53,282 | $234,639 |
| 96 | Iron County | 9,446 | $48,850 | $152,578 |
| 97 | Douglas County | 11,965 | $45,985 | $235,304 |
| 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 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + FBI crime data via Saturday Night Science. All 115 Missouri counties.
Summary
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. Not sold on Missouri? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Counties In Missouri FAQs
What is the best county to live in Missouri?
St. Charles County is the best county to live in Missouri for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Platte County and Osage County are next.
What are the best counties in Missouri?
The best counties to live 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. We ranked all 115 Missouri counties.
How do you rank the best counties?
Counties are scored on crime, home values, income, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey and FBI data. The county with the best average across all seven, St. Charles County, wins.
How expensive is it to live in St. Charles County?
The median household income in St. Charles County is $104,692 and the median home costs $366,406. Statewide, the typical Missouri home runs $263,040.
Which county in Missouri should you think twice about?
Wayne County lands at the bottom of the quality-of-life ranking for Missouri. People make good lives there anyway; the numbers just say it is the toughest of the 115 counties.
