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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Missouri For 2026
To find the best places to retire, we looked at 70 cities with at least 10,000 people. We then compared these 70 cities using data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights.
What is the best place to retire in Missouri? According to the data, Poplar Bluff is the best place to retire in Missouri for 2026.
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.
Why did Poplar Bluff take the top spot? And where are St. Louis and Springfield?
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 2026
/10
Population: 16,254
Median Income: $41,941
Median Home Price: $170,053
Median Rent: $760
Distance to Closest Airport: 61 miles
More on Poplar Bluff: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,196
Median Income: $52,500
Median Home Price: $111,347
Median Rent: $651
Distance to Closest Airport: 19 miles
More on Kennett: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 15,130
Median Income: $79,173
Median Home Price: $306,588
Median Rent: $827
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Washington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 13,526
Median Income: $44,145
Median Home Price: $158,147
Median Rent: $774
Distance to Closest Airport: 120 miles
More on Moberly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 59,092
Median Income: $91,637
Median Home Price: $318,220
Median Rent: $1,321
Distance to Closest Airport: 12 miles
More on St. Peters: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 23,712
Median Income: $115,227
Median Home Price: $438,954
Median Rent: $1,650
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Webster Groves: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 16,771
Median Income: $53,721
Median Home Price: $172,131
Median Rent: $805
Distance to Closest Airport: 86 miles
More on Hannibal: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 15,659
Median Income: $77,105
Median Home Price: $271,918
Median Rent: $900
Distance to Closest Airport: 99 miles
More on Jackson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 31,279
Median Income: $124,626
Median Home Price: $412,224
Median Rent: $1,418
Distance to Closest Airport: 14 miles
More on Ballwin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,295
Median Income: $107,169
Median Home Price: $339,628
Median Rent: $1,007
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Crestwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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.
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:
- Republic
- Springfield
- Grandview
For more Missouri reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Missouri
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poplar Bluff | 16,254 | $41,941 | $170,053 | $760 |
| 2 | Kennett | 10,196 | $52,500 | $111,347 | $651 |
| 3 | Washington | 15,130 | $79,173 | $306,588 | $827 |
| 4 | Moberly | 13,526 | $44,145 | $158,147 | $774 |
| 5 | St. Peters | 59,092 | $91,637 | $318,220 | $1,321 |
| 6 | Webster Groves | 23,712 | $115,227 | $438,954 | $1,650 |
| 7 | Hannibal | 16,771 | $53,721 | $172,131 | $805 |
| 8 | Jackson | 15,659 | $77,105 | $271,918 | $900 |
| 9 | Ballwin | 31,279 | $124,626 | $412,224 | $1,418 |
| 10 | Crestwood | 12,295 | $107,169 | $339,628 | $1,007 |