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So you've punched your last time card and you're looking for us to show you the places in the Show-Me State that are the absolute best for retirement. You're in the right place, because we've looked at the data to come up with the best places to retire in Missouri.
Whether you're a lifelong Missourian or are moving from far away, the state is a great place to spend your golden years. For starters, Missouri has the lowest rent of any state in America, so your savings will go farther here than anywhere else in the country. Not to mention you'll have plenty extra to spend on all the fun things to do in Missouri. Like catching a Tigers or Cardinals game with the family. Or going to the best Blues Festival of your life. And if you're a beer enthusiast, you have to take a tour of Anheuser-Busch. Maybe you're really excited to get out in nature more in your retirement. In that case, Missouri has you covered with loads of gorgeous state parks and all the fishing opportunities an experienced angler will ever need.
So just where are these magical retirement destinations? About half of the best cities for retirement in Missouri are suburbs of St. Louis, with St. Ann being the best of the 'burbs for retirees. A few are around Kansas City, with Cameron being the best choice within an hour's drive of KC. Or you could go super-far south into Kennett and pick up a southern twang from your new Arkansan neighbors.
Toss out your suits and ties, pack up your golf clubs, and get ready to relax, because we're visiting the best places to retire in Missouri.
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Missouri For 2023
Why did Kennett take the top spot? And where are St. Louis and Springfield?
That wraps up our science-based attempt to unearth the best places to retire in Missouri. Because of Missouri's super-low cost of living, you'll be able to take advantage of all there is to do in the Show-Me State.
How did we at Homesnacks make this list? We started by narrowing down our search to only cities with at least 10,000 people, which gave us 70 cities to work with. We then compared these 70 cities using data from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights. The places with the lowest crime, lowest costs, best weather, and easiest access to fun things to do made it onto our list. But which city shined above the rest in terms of retirement goodies? According to the data, Kennett is the best place to retire in Missouri for 2023.
Did you have your heart set on another Missourian city for your retirement? See how it scored based on our metrics on the complete list below.
For more Missouri state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Missouri For 2023
/10
Population: 10,507
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Rent: $570
Distance to Closest Airport: 19 miles
More on Kennett: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,211
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Rent: $630
Distance to Closest Airport: 10 miles
More on Smithville: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 11,592
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Rent: $647
Distance to Closest Airport: 85 miles
More on Mexico: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 29,233
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Rent: $1,135
Distance to Closest Airport: 12 miles
More on Kirkwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 57,289
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $1,078
Distance to Closest Airport: 12 miles
More on St. Peters: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 14,607
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 5)
Median Rent: $757
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Washington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 23,817
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $1,382
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Webster Groves: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,933
Rank Last Year: -
Median Rent: $686
Distance to Closest Airport: 120 miles
More on Moberly: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,070
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 5)
Median Rent: $787
Distance to Closest Airport: 48 miles
More on Harrisonville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,431
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Rent: $680
Distance to Closest Airport: 81 miles
More on Marshall: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Show Me State for 2023
To create our list of the best places in Missouri to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Show Me State -- 1019 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 70 places from across the state.
For these 70, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 70, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Kennett, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Summary: Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Missouri Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Missouri goes to Kennett.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Springfield
- Belton
- Republic
For more Missouri reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Missouri?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennett | 10,507 |
| 2 | Smithville | 10,211 |
| 3 | Mexico | 11,592 |
| 4 | Kirkwood | 29,233 |
| 5 | St. Peters | 57,289 |
| 6 | Washington | 14,607 |
| 7 | Webster Groves | 23,817 |
| 8 | Moberly | 13,933 |
| 9 | Harrisonville | 10,070 |
| 10 | Marshall | 13,431 |
