You’ve punched your last time card, and now 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. Missouri has one of the lowest rent of any state in America. You’ll have plenty extra to spend on all the fun things to do in Missouri. You can catch a Cardinals game with the family. Or going to the best Blues Festival of your life.
So just where are these magical retirement destinations? About half of Missouri’s best cities for retirement are suburbs of St. Louis and a few are around Kansas City.
Toss out your suits and ties, pack up your golf clubs, and relax because we’re visiting the best places to retire in Missouri.
$760 median rent · $41,941 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Butler County, Missouri
Poplar Bluff is a small city in Butler County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as “The Gateway to the Ozarks” among other names. The population was 17,023 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$651 median rent · $52,500 median income · #1 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Dunklin County, Missouri
Kennett is a city in and the county seat of Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. The city is located in the southeast corner of Missouri, 4 miles east of Arkansas and 20 miles from the Mississippi River. It has a population of 10,932 according to the 2010 Census. It is the largest city in the Bootheel, a mostly agricultural area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$827 median rent · $79,173 median income · #13 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Franklin County, Missouri
Washington is a city on the Missouri River in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,892 from the 2010 census. It is the corncob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum located on the riverfront.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$774 median rent · $44,145 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Randolph County, Missouri
Moberly is a city in Randolph County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,974 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,321 median rent · $91,637 median income · #55 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
St. Charles County, Missouri
St. Peters is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The 2010 census showed the city’s population to be 52,575 tied for 10th with Blue Springs, Missouri.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,650 median rent · $115,227 median income · #68 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
St. Louis County, Missouri
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$805 median rent · $53,721 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Ralls County, Missouri
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$900 median rent · $77,105 median income · #21 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Jackson is a city in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,758 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cape Girardeau County. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,418 median rent · $124,626 median income · #61 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
St. Louis County, Missouri
Ballwin is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 30,404 as of the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,007 median rent · $107,169 median income · #32 cheapest rent in Missouri
Located in
St. Louis County, Missouri
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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
On the map
Where to retire in Missouri
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Show Me State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Missouri to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed 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 criterion 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 Poplar Bluff, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Missouri.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Missouri
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poplar Bluff | 19.20 | 16,254 | $41,941 | $170,054 | $760 |
| 2 | Kennett | 20.70 | 10,196 | $52,500 | $111,347 | $651 |
| 3 | Washington | 21.60 | 15,130 | $79,173 | $306,588 | $827 |
| 4 | Moberly | 23.40 | 13,526 | $44,145 | $158,147 | $774 |
| 5 | St. Peters | 26.60 | 59,092 | $91,637 | $318,220 | $1,321 |
| 6 | Webster Groves | 27.60 | 23,712 | $115,227 | $438,955 | $1,650 |
| 7 | Hannibal | 27.80 | 16,771 | $53,721 | $172,131 | $805 |
| 8 | Jackson | 28.20 | 15,659 | $77,105 | $271,918 | $900 |
| 9 | Ballwin | 29.00 | 31,279 | $124,626 | $412,225 | $1,418 |
| 10 | Crestwood | 29.10 | 12,295 | $107,169 | $339,629 | $1,007 |
| 11 | Kirkwood | 29.20 | 29,363 | $121,270 | $462,235 | $1,348 |
| 12 | Marshall | 29.20 | 13,739 | $54,437 | $181,309 | $761 |
| 13 | St. Charles | 29.70 | 71,508 | $85,937 | $344,643 | $1,251 |
| 14 | Gladstone | 30.10 | 27,207 | $79,271 | $266,727 | $1,088 |
| 15 | Chesterfield | 30.20 | 49,574 | $133,037 | $570,325 | $1,644 |
| 16 | Ellisville | 30.50 | 10,002 | $113,309 | $403,570 | $1,538 |
| 17 | Bolivar | 31.00 | 11,170 | $49,622 | $252,896 | $812 |
| 18 | Kearney | 31.30 | 10,885 | $103,622 | $390,530 | $1,251 |
| 19 | Lake St. Louis | 31.50 | 18,066 | $125,693 | $431,422 | $1,588 |
| 20 | Town and Country | 31.60 | 11,607 | $232,534 | $1,146,742 | $1,955 |
| 21 | Festus | 32.10 | 13,201 | $73,532 | $299,935 | $922 |
| 22 | Florissant | 32.60 | 51,773 | $65,318 | $191,524 | $1,288 |
| 23 | Maryville | 32.80 | 10,428 | $53,352 | $222,767 | $808 |
| 24 | Fulton | 33.00 | 12,617 | $51,429 | $245,451 | $836 |
| 25 | Independence | 33.10 | 121,740 | $60,339 | $208,158 | $1,109 |
| 26 | Hazelwood | 33.60 | 25,114 | $55,908 | $157,629 | $996 |
| 27 | St. Ann | 33.80 | 12,811 | $52,323 | $157,310 | $976 |
| 28 | Liberty | 33.90 | 30,689 | $88,542 | $324,253 | $1,160 |
| 29 | Farmington | 33.90 | 18,282 | $53,729 | $254,729 | $855 |
| 30 | O’Fallon | 34.50 | 93,801 | $110,443 | $376,395 | $1,443 |
| 31 | Smithville | 34.50 | 10,705 | $101,165 | $371,403 | $1,323 |
| 32 | Bellefontaine Neighbors | 34.50 | 10,498 | $49,170 | $102,415 | $1,151 |
| 33 | West Plains | 34.80 | 12,441 | $44,002 | $221,521 | $810 |
| 34 | Lebanon | 34.90 | 15,270 | $48,359 | $228,788 | $809 |
| 35 | Creve Coeur | 35.20 | 18,643 | $127,188 | $614,771 | $1,622 |
| 36 | Union | 35.20 | 12,781 | $73,435 | $257,223 | $858 |
| 37 | Neosho | 35.30 | 13,224 | $57,891 | $227,220 | $745 |
| 38 | Sedalia | 35.80 | 22,003 | $50,990 | $182,165 | $877 |
| 39 | Eureka | 35.90 | 13,081 | $108,394 | $403,523 | $1,252 |
| 40 | Sikeston | 36.40 | 16,320 | $58,915 | $158,611 | $891 |
| 41 | Manchester | 37.00 | 18,160 | $97,801 | $374,848 | $1,322 |
| 42 | Bridgeton | 37.20 | 11,369 | $72,005 | $273,069 | $1,172 |
| 43 | Raymore | 37.50 | 24,526 | $104,447 | $356,402 | $1,303 |
| 44 | St. Joseph | 37.60 | 71,236 | $57,956 | $180,020 | $898 |
| 45 | Kirksville | 37.80 | 17,563 | $50,071 | $150,865 | $775 |
| 46 | Carthage | 37.80 | 15,574 | $51,328 | $234,176 | $975 |
| 47 | Ferguson | 38.00 | 18,213 | $47,524 | $116,377 | $1,119 |
| 48 | St. Louis | 38.10 | 288,512 | $56,160 | $181,928 | $997 |
| 49 | Maryland Heights | 38.60 | 27,880 | $86,436 | $258,829 | $1,312 |
| 50 | Troy | 38.70 | 13,947 | $79,012 | $311,433 | $1,033 |
| 51 | Joplin | 39.00 | 52,593 | $52,097 | $200,472 | $962 |
| 52 | Overland | 39.40 | 15,695 | $61,773 | $150,450 | $1,112 |
| 53 | Nixa | 39.80 | 24,836 | $83,385 | $318,320 | $1,083 |
| 54 | Warrensburg | 39.90 | 19,582 | $57,067 | $266,468 | $921 |
| 55 | Wentzville | 40.00 | 47,061 | $112,394 | $396,786 | $1,345 |
| 56 | Ozark | 40.10 | 22,417 | $74,182 | $316,347 | $1,097 |
| 57 | Rolla | 40.10 | 20,287 | $46,204 | $237,605 | $789 |
| 58 | Clayton | 41.60 | 17,380 | $123,000 | $871,223 | $1,692 |
| 59 | Raytown | 41.80 | 29,445 | $68,840 | $205,243 | $1,218 |
| 60 | Excelsior Springs | 41.90 | 10,484 | $72,609 | $223,588 | $975 |
| 61 | Cape Girardeau | 42.30 | 40,344 | $55,658 | $219,807 | $876 |
| 62 | Lee’s Summit | 43.40 | 103,656 | $102,531 | $389,364 | $1,422 |
| 63 | Blue Springs | 45.30 | 59,965 | $88,920 | $307,947 | $1,277 |
| 64 | Belton | 45.70 | 25,008 | $69,226 | $270,041 | $1,290 |
| 65 | Grain Valley | 46.10 | 16,271 | $89,649 | $326,296 | $1,398 |
| 66 | Branson | 46.50 | 12,817 | $51,978 | $248,361 | $961 |
| 67 | Columbia | 46.70 | 128,548 | $66,498 | $321,091 | $1,097 |
| 68 | Grandview | 47.40 | 26,527 | $53,447 | $216,734 | $1,035 |
| 69 | Springfield | 48.00 | 169,954 | $49,311 | $242,870 | $964 |
| 70 | Republic | 48.40 | 19,829 | $65,729 | $268,263 | $1,123 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 70 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
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 Poplar Bluff.
The best places to retire in Missouri are Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Washington, Moberly, St. Peters, Webster Groves, Hannibal, Jackson, Ballwin, and Crestwood.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
