If you’re like the rest of us, you’re looking for the perfect place for your family. But you have a strict criteria; the city has to be safe, affordable, and stimulating. Basically, the place you move – or even visit – has to be outright perfect.
Is that attainable? Perhaps not, but we’ll get you as close as we can.
Promise.
According to the United States Census, the number of American families who move is trending downwards Why is that? Perhaps it has to do with the safety net’ factor: We get comfortable where we live, and we’re afraid to try a new move. What if the schools are bad? What if it’s dangerous?
Well, we can pretty much guarantee that if you choose the cities we’re mentioning below, you won’t lose any sleep whatsoever.
So, where are the best cities for families in Missouri? We’ve got the answers here.
These are the best cities to raise a family in Missouri for 2019:
- Webster Groves (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Marshall (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Kirkwood (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Jackson (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Maryville (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Harrisonville (Homes For Sale)
- Union (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Neosho (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Warrensburg (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Mexico (Photos | Homes For Sale)
If you’re thinking of making a move to Missouri, and want a family-friendly place, we’ve got you covered. And if you already have kids, we’re surprised you made it this far into the article and hope your little ones give you a couple of more minutes of free time.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out some more reading about Missouri and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
How do you determine which place is best for families in Missouri anyways?
To give you the places in Missouri which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what’s family-friendly and what isn’t.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Show Me State
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Missouri, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)
We then gave each city a Family Score.
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For Missouri, that meant a total of 70 cities.
Read on to see why Webster Groves is where all the families are headed, while Branson is probably a place made for singles.
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri For 2019
/10
Population: 23,069
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 43
Closest Major City: St. Louis
Households with kids: 33.5%
More on Webster Groves: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 12,865
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 62
Closest Major City: Kansas City
Households with kids: 32.4%
More on Marshall: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Marshall is a city in Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,065 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It is home to Missouri Valley College.
/10
Population: 27,659
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 35
Closest Major City: St. Louis
Households with kids: 26.8%
More on Kirkwood: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city’s population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west of the Mississippi River.
/10
Population: 14,690
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 50
Closest Major City: St. Louis
Households with kids: 31.9%
More on Jackson: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
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.
/10
Population: 11,855
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 55
Closest Major City: Omaha
Households with kids: 20.0%
More on Maryville: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Maryville is a city and county seat of Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,972. Maryville is home to Northwest Missouri State University, Northwest Technical School, and the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing.
/10
Population: 10,025
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 65
Closest Major City: Kansas City
Households with kids: 31.0%
More on Harrisonville: Homes For Sale | Data
Harrisonville is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,019 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cass County.
/10
Population: 11,041
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 41
Closest Major City: St. Louis
Households with kids: 32.1%
More on Union: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Union is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Missouri, United States. It is located on the Bourbeuse River 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. The population was 10,204 at the 2010 census, with the city showing the highest growth rate in Franklin County the last decade.
/10
Population: 11,983
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: Tulsa
Households with kids: 37.3%
More on Neosho: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Neosho residents. Neosho lies on the western edge of the Ozarks.
/10
Population: 19,890
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 59
Closest Major City: Kansas City
Households with kids: 25.5%
More on Warrensburg: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Warrensburg is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 18,838 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County. The Warrensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson County. It is home to the University of Central Missouri.
/10
Population: 11,528
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: St. Louis
Households with kids: 26.7%
More on Mexico: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Mexico, formerly known as New Mexico, is a city in Audrain County, Missouri. The population was 11,543 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat, home to the Missouri Military Academy, and annually hosts the Miss Missouri Pageant. The micropolitan statistical area consists of Audrain County.
There You Have It – The Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Missouri ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Missouri according to the data:
- Branson
- Bridgeton
- St. Louis
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Missouri
- 10 Safest Places In Missouri
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Missouri
