The 10 Safest Cities In Missouri For 2024

The safest cities in Missouri are Cottleville and Poplar Bluff for 2024 using Saturday Night Science.

There's more to Missouri than the St. Louis, the Lake of the Ozarks, Kansas City, and Branson, there are some super cool, super safe places to call home.

But how exactly is one to tell where the safest places are to live in the Show Me State? Well, data, of course.

Based on the most recent FBI data in places with over 5,000 residents, we broke down the safest places to live in Missouri. We focused on each city or town's property and violent crimes per capita. Since this is the tenth time we've ranked the safest places in Missouri, we feel confident in our calculations.

Missouri has much to offer if you're looking for a safe place to put down roots with a family. Coincidentally, it is one of the better states to raise a family.

Now, it wouldn't be right if we didn't mention that Missouri is ranked the 44th least safe states in the country. So, it's super important to know how to find the safest places to live in Missouri when moving.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Missouri for 2024:

  1. Cottleville (Homes For Sale)
  2. Poplar Bluff (Homes For Sale)
  3. Glendale (Homes For Sale)
  4. Ballwin (Homes For Sale)
  5. Pleasant Hill (Homes For Sale)
  6. Republic (Homes For Sale)
  7. Savannah (Homes For Sale)
  8. Holts Summit (Homes For Sale)
  9. Greenwood (Homes For Sale)
  10. O'Fallon (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Missouri Map

So, what city is the safest to live in Missouri for 2024? Cottleville is the safest place to live in Missouri.

To see the ten safest places in Missouri, look below; if you don't find it there, head to the bottom to see how your favorite Missouri place compares.

For more reading on safe places to live in and around Missouri, check out:

The 10 Safest Cities In Missouri For 2024

Cottleville, MO
Source: Flickr User MTHarden | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 5,828
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 17 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 274 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Cottleville: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9.5
/10

Cottleville residents don't need to be coddled. Not with such safe streets. Cottleville has a property crime rate roughly nine times lower than the national average, earning the city the gold medal in this category. And you could count the number of violent crimes Cottleville saw in the last year of available data on one hand.

Did I mention that Cottleville also scores a perfect 10/10 on our overall snackability score? Really, whatever your priorities are for choosing a place to live, Cottleville probably has what you're looking for. Especially if one of those priorities is drinking a vanilla cream ale from Exit 6 Brewery.

Cottleville is a western suburb of St. Louis.

Poplar Bluff, MO
Source: Wikipedia User Michael G�bler | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 16,181
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 43 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 432 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Poplar Bluff: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
3
/10

Located in the southeast region of Missouri, Poplar Bluff is not only the county seat of Butler County but also a historic hub that has earned the nickname "The Gateway to the Ozarks." Poplar Bluff has maintained a steady growth and now forms the core of the Poplar Bluff Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Poplar Bluff's impressive safety record is reflected in its crime rates, with a total of 0 murders and an overall low 43/100k people violent crimes per capita. The city's commitment to safety is evident with fifth safest place ranking for violent crimes and a #4 for property crimes statewide. These statistics contribute to Poplar Bluff's designation as the second safest place to live in Missouri.

Glendale, MO
Source: HomeSnacks

Population: 6,104
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 622 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Glendale: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Another safe suburb of St. Louis -- that was a fun little alliteration -- Glendale finds itself in the same position as last year near the top of our ranking.

Glendale's property and violent crime rates rank as the ninth safest and safest, respectively, in the state at anywhere from 8-10x better than the national average. Add in the fact that over 75% of the population has at least college education, people make a ton of money, and housing is in super high demand and you actually have one of the single best places to live in MIssouri according to our data for this year.

Ballwin, MO
Source: Wikipedia User FlickreviewR 2 | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 30,630
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 29 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 646 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Ballwin: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
10
/10

While Missouri is home to two of the most dangerous cities in the country in St. Louis and Springfield, it's also home to gems like Ballwin.

A second-ring western suburb of St. Louis, it takes the reigns as the fourth safest place to live in Missouri for 2024.

The large 'burb of some 30,000 people boasts the fourth safest violent crime rate and 12th safest property crime rate in the state. Even better, there were zero murders and robberies here in the last reporting year.

Add in a highly educated adult population and it's no wonder people are flocking to the city -- it scores a 10/10 on our SnackAbility score and marks a best place to live in Missouri.

Pleasant Hill, MO
Source: Flickr User MoBikeFed | CC BY 2.0

Population: 8,811
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 68 (11th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 476 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Pleasant Hill: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
5
/10

Located just southeast of Kansas City, Pleasant Hill ranks as the fifth safest city in Missouri overall. In 2022, Pleasant Hill experienced only one violent crime, giving the city the 11th safest rate of violence in the state. That works out to a violent crime rate 33 times lower than the national average. Pleasant Hill deserves a lot of praise for its very impressive crime numbers this year, seeing as the city wasn't even in the top 30 safest cities in Missouri last year.

This level of safety is great news for solo runners and cyclists who want to enjoy the Rock Island Trail State Park in peace.

Republic, MO
Source: Wikipedia User Michaelalandis | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 19,481
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 66 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 759 (14th safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 5
More on Republic: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Crime tries to run for office in Republic, MO, but the citizens vote 'No' every time, making it the sixth safest republic in the state.

Part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area, republic has a commendable safety profile with a #6 position among Missouri's safest places. The lack of violent crime, especially the scarcity of murder, contributes to a violent crime rate of 66/100k people, well below average.\

Savannah, MO
Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 5,032
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 99 (21st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 377 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Savannah: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
5
/10

Just breaking our population threshold of 5,000 people, Savannah finds itself in the top ten for yet another year.

The town had top ten finishes for both violent and property crime, which makes for an overall safe place to settle down.

Tree City USA, as it likes to refer to itself on occasion, offers a ton of options for families and is your quintessential small-town USA. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbors, and we all know you wouldn't steal from your friends next door.

Population: 5,431
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 73 (15th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 626 (tenth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Holts Summit: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8
/10

Holts Summit, a serene city in Missouri's Callaway County, holds the title of the eighth safest city. With no incidents of serious crime in 2024, it has a violent crime rate of 73/100k people and a property crime rate of 626/100k people per capita. Ranking at 15th safest for violent crime and tenth safest for property crime across the state, its safety credentials are solid.

From a general store in 1870, Holts Summit has evolved into a secure enclave near Jefferson City. Its connection to the Missouri Rhineland and its founding legacy enhances its tight community atmosphere.

Population: 6,077
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 115 (26th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 362 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Greenwood: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

Greenwood is no stranger to this ranking, as it still ranks as one of the safest cities to live in Missouri.

And don't just take our word for it -- several other organizations have ranked Greenwood the safest city in the state for the past couple of years. That also means our methodology is accurate, in case you were worried.

While the town still has crime rates that are 10x better than the national average, violent crime was up a tick from previous years.

O'Fallon, MO
Source: Flickr User f2n_downtown | CC BY-ND 2.0

Population: 95,689
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 94 (17th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 718 (13th safest)
Murders: 2
Murders Per 100k: 2
More on O'fallon: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

O'Fallon, a key suburb within St. Charles County in Missouri, is celebrated as the tenth safest city statewide for 2024. The city boasts a robust economy and strong community infrastructure, contributing to its low crime rates. Despite its population of 95,689 and proximity to the St. Louis metropolitan area, O'Fallon's crime rates remain low with just 90 violent incidents. Property crimes are slightly higher with 688 occurrences, but still modest for its size.

Founded in 1856, O'Fallon has evolved into a pivotal suburb. Its effective police force has earned it rankings of 17th safest in violent crime and 13th safest in property crime within Missouri, reinforcing O'Fallon's status as a secure place to reside.

Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Missouri for 2024

Safest Cities in Missouri Graph

While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Missouri are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Missouri.

Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:

  • Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
  • Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)

For example, there were 17 crimes committed in Cottleville, with a reported population of 5,828. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0029, which translates into a 1 in 342 chance of being the victim of a crime.

We only looked at Missouri cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 126 of the biggest cities in Missouri to rank.

We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 126 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.

Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Missouri," with any ties going to the bigger city.

The safest city in Missouri, based on our criteria, is Cottleville. The most dangerous city in Missouri? Berkeley, where residents had a 1 in 9 chance of being the victim of a crime.

This article has been update for 2024. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Missouri. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.

Worst Places To Live In Missouri

Summary: The Safest Cities In The Show Me State

Looking at the data, you can tell that Cottleville is as safe as they come in Missouri, according to science and data.

But as most Missouri residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.

The safest places in Missouri are .

Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Missouri according to the data:

  1. Berkeley
  2. St. Louis
  3. Vinita Park
For more reading, check out:

Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Missouri For 2024?

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k Murders Per 100k Murders
1 Cottleville, MO 5,828 17 274 0 0
2 Poplar Bluff, MO 16,181 43 432 0 0
3 Glendale, MO 6,104 0 622 0 0
4 Ballwin, MO 30,630 29 646 0 0
5 Pleasant Hill, MO 8,811 68 476 0 0
6 Republic, MO 19,481 66 759 5 1
7 Savannah, MO 5,032 99 377 0 0
8 Holts Summit, MO 5,431 73 626 0 0
9 Greenwood, MO 6,077 115 362 0 0
10 O'fallon, MO 95,689 94 718 2 2
11 Nixa, MO 24,860 72 840 0 0
12 Ladue, MO 8,948 55 1,206 0 0
13 Smithville, MO 10,654 122 563 0 0
14 Lake St. Louis, MO 17,846 112 930 0 0
15 Eureka, MO 12,589 87 1,175 0 0
16 Chillicothe, MO 9,177 98 1,100 0 0
17 Webster Groves, MO 23,598 114 1,017 4 1
18 Jackson, MO 15,561 115 963 0 0
19 Manchester, MO 18,142 49 1,455 5 1
20 Odessa, MO 5,546 126 829 0 0
21 Clayton, MO 16,851 71 1,394 0 0
22 Ozark, MO 22,447 106 1,296 4 1
23 Town And Country, MO 11,479 26 1,629 0 0
24 Arnold, MO 20,794 62 1,505 0 0
25 Battlefield, MO 6,078 164 641 0 0
26 Chesterfield, MO 49,451 70 1,514 0 0
27 Cameron, MO 8,429 130 1,138 0 0
28 Parkville, MO 8,412 95 1,462 0 0
29 Oak Grove, MO 8,388 131 1,204 0 0
30 Bonne Terre, MO 6,757 147 991 0 0
31 Raymore, MO 25,351 118 1,447 0 0
32 Creve Coeur, MO 18,527 64 2,002 0 0
33 Carl Junction, MO 8,355 179 1,017 0 0
34 De Soto, MO 6,355 94 1,778 0 0
35 Grain Valley, MO 16,320 134 1,409 6 1
36 Ellisville, MO 9,890 192 1,172 0 0
37 Kearney, MO 11,041 172 1,331 0 0
38 Macon, MO 5,480 127 1,496 0 0
39 Crestwood, MO 12,267 114 1,760 0 0
40 Trenton, MO 5,581 143 1,469 17 1
41 Willard, MO 6,430 311 606 0 0
42 Kirkwood, MO 29,276 140 1,745 6 2
43 Wright City, MO 5,360 335 503 0 0
44 Sunset Hills, MO 9,053 121 2,165 0 0
45 Lee's Summit, MO 103,976 138 2,097 5 6
46 Peculiar, MO 6,037 198 1,739 0 0
47 Wentzville, MO 46,018 297 1,234 0 0
48 Olivette, MO 8,387 166 2,015 0 0
49 St. Peters, MO 58,584 227 1,549 1 1
50 St. Charles, MO 71,079 212 1,747 1 1
51 Festus, MO 13,036 291 1,442 7 1
52 Moberly, MO 13,998 257 1,543 7 1
53 Fulton, MO 12,792 203 1,915 7 1
54 Pacific, MO 7,398 310 1,365 0 0
55 Waynesville, MO 5,419 313 1,347 0 0
56 Herculaneum, MO 5,118 214 1,817 0 0
57 Bolivar, MO 11,129 125 2,605 0 0
58 Washington, MO 15,175 158 2,286 0 0
59 Perryville, MO 8,458 319 1,383 23 2
60 Dexter, MO 7,854 203 2,113 0 0
61 Maryville, MO 10,791 250 1,871 0 0
62 Troy, MO 14,027 263 1,910 0 0
63 Marshall, MO 13,490 378 1,393 0 0
64 Blue Springs, MO 60,093 208 2,171 4 3
65 Mexico, MO 11,531 182 2,384 0 0
66 University City, MO 34,326 218 2,161 5 2
67 Neosho, MO 12,864 147 2,759 7 1
68 Monett, MO 9,782 204 2,330 0 0
69 Carthage, MO 15,510 264 2,114 0 0
70 Des Peres, MO 9,135 142 3,415 0 0
71 Boonville, MO 7,882 253 2,232 0 0
72 Jefferson City, MO 42,653 356 1,706 4 2
73 Warrensburg, MO 19,703 203 2,674 0 0
74 St. Ann, MO 12,788 304 2,056 7 1
75 Pevely, MO 5,998 233 2,350 0 0
76 Bowling Green, MO 5,617 551 1,370 0 0
77 Park Hills, MO 8,764 273 2,236 0 0
78 Florissant, MO 51,565 275 2,321 3 2
79 Harrisonville, MO 9,956 351 2,139 0 0
80 Warrenton, MO 9,215 282 2,593 0 0
81 Excelsior Springs, MO 10,608 377 2,215 9 1
82 Maryland Heights, MO 27,795 305 2,673 0 0
83 St. Robert, MO 6,558 228 3,568 0 0
84 Brentwood, MO 8,101 197 5,036 0 0
85 Marshfield, MO 7,605 341 2,524 13 1
86 Gladstone, MO 26,953 315 2,734 0 0
87 Belton, MO 24,395 397 2,434 0 0
88 Webb City, MO 13,433 260 3,796 0 0
89 Lebanon, MO 15,143 383 2,753 6 1
90 Aurora, MO 7,329 968 2,101 13 1
91 Columbia, MO 127,862 471 2,614 8 11
92 Farmington, MO 18,565 301 3,980 0 0
93 West Plains, MO 12,252 416 3,256 8 1
94 Cape Girardeau, MO 40,067 601 2,455 9 4
95 St. John, MO 6,538 596 2,477 0 0
96 Shrewsbury, MO 6,280 302 4,713 0 0
97 Sedalia, MO 21,924 492 2,814 0 0
98 Hannibal, MO 17,028 469 3,341 11 2
99 Maplewood, MO 8,117 295 5,285 12 1
100 Overland, MO 15,632 454 3,550 19 3

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Missouri

Safest Cities in Missouri Breakdown

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.

Safest Cities By State

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About HomeSnacks

HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.

We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.

We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.

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