10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri For 2019

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.

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 States To Raise A Family In America

The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri For 2019

1. Webster Groves

Source: Wikipedia User Matthew Black | CC BY-SA 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 23,069
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 35
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.

2. Marshall

Source: Wikipedia User Ichabod | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 12,865
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
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.

3. Kirkwood

Source: Wikipedia User Rwhealey (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 27,659
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 58
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.

4. Jackson

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 14,690
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 54
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.

5. Maryville

Source: Wikipedia User Americasroof wi | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 11,855
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 44
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.

6. Harrisonville

Source: Flickr User David Reber’s Hammer Photography | CC BY-SA 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,025
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 42
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.

7. Union

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 11,041
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 68
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.

8. Neosho

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 11,983
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 55
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.

9. Warrensburg

Source: Wikipedia User Nja1985 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 19,890
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 65
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. Mexico

Source: Flickr User KOMUnews | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 11,528
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 39
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.

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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.

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:

1. Branson
2. Bridgeton
3. St. Louis

For more Missouri reading, check out:

• 10 Safest Places In Missouri
• These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Missouri
• These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Missouri

Where Are The Best Places For Families In Missouri?