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Missouri

#26 of 50 states · 😐 Meh

#26of 50
Missouri among U.S. states
C62
😐 Meh
🏆 Renttop 31%
🚽 Property crimebottom 28%
Rolled up from 131 ranked cities · 3,442,174 residents
Taxes
8.44% sales · US 7.00%up to 4.70% income · US 4.63%

City heat map

Every ranked city — bubble size = population, color = how it ranks within Missouri. Tap a bubble for its card.

Best-ranked in MissouriWorst-ranked

Color is each city's rank within Missouri — not its national score. Hover or open a bubble for that, or see every city on one scale on the national map.

The breakdown — worst first

Property crime rate28

Population-weighted average across 125 Missouri cities

Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate31

Population-weighted average across 125 Missouri cities

Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Adult smoking34

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poor mental health36

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Physical inactivity38

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Adult obesity42

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Homeownership42

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Median household income44

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Income inequality45

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Poverty rate46

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access46

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Population growth (5yr)49

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Air quality (AQI)51

Population-weighted average across 40 Missouri cities

Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air.

Property-tax burden51

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Natural disaster risk52

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more.

Uninsured adults57

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Unhealthy air days58

Population-weighted average across 40 Missouri cities

Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100).

Bachelor's degree or higher58

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Housing cost62

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Commute time63

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unemployment rate68

Population-weighted average across 131 Missouri cities

Share of the labor force out of work.

Rent69

Population-weighted average across 73 Missouri cities

Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

See all Missouri cities →

Missouri's headline score is the population-weighted average of its cities' scores, placed on a curve relative to the other states — a bird's-eye, states-vs-states ranking. The breakdown bars above are the absolute, per-metric rollup across its cities of 5,000+ residents. The heat map colors each city by its rank within Missouri(greenest = best here); the city lists below show each city's national score.