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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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Show Me State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Missouri For 2021
Osage County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Missouri. And you might want to avoid Wright County if you can -- at least according to the data.
So if you're thinking of making the move Missouri, we've got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Missouri and the cheapest places to live in Missouri.
The Best Counties To Live In Missouri For 2021
1. Osage County
Biggest Place: Linn
Population: 13,615
Median Income: $61,687 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $151,900.0 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 198.3% (3rd best)
More on Osage County: Data
2. Andrew County
Biggest Place: Savannah
Population: 17,503
Median Income: $58,772 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $147,900.0 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 300.8% (17th best)
More on Andrew County: Photos | Data
3. St. Charles County
Biggest Place: O'Fallon
Population: 394,290
Median Income: $84,978 (best)
Median Home Price: $219,100.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 289.2% (15th best)
More on St. Charles County: Photos | Data
4. Cole County
Biggest Place: Jefferson City
Population: 76,723
Median Income: $60,066 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $162,300.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 357.5% (29th best)
More on Cole County: Photos | Data
5. Lafayette County
Biggest Place: Oak Grove
Population: 32,597
Median Income: $58,766 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $143,500.0 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 280.9% (14th best)
More on Lafayette County: Photos | Data
6. Ste. Genevieve County
Biggest Place: Ste. Genevieve
Population: 17,848
Median Income: $60,129 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $166,200.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 347.2% (26th best)
More on Ste. Genevieve County: Photos | Data
7. Lincoln County
Biggest Place: Troy
Population: 56,477
Median Income: $64,196 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $163,300.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 377.0% (34th best)
More on Lincoln County: Data
8. Cass County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 103,597
Median Income: $69,433 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $181,000.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 376.8% (33rd best)
More on Cass County: Photos | Data
9. Platte County
Biggest Place: Kansas City
Population: 100,682
Median Income: $80,393 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $226,500.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 377.4% (35th best)
More on Platte County: Photos | Data
10. Warren County
Biggest Place: Warrenton
Population: 34,453
Median Income: $60,125 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $180,000.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 448.9% (62nd best)
More on Warren County: Photos | Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what's a "best county" and what isn't. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you'd make at a bar using facts, don't take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Show Me State.
Read on to see why Osage County is the best county, while Wright County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Missouri.
There You Have It - The Best Counties In Missouri To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Missouri can vary from one part of the state to the next -- who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that's why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here's a look at the worst counties in Missouri according to the data:
- Wright County
- Ripley County
- Ozark County
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In Missouri
- Best Places To Retire In Missouri
- Richest Cities In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri