Best Places to Live in Missouri, Kansas Ranked

What are the best larger places to live in Missouri and Kansas?

Numerous local cities are among the top places to live, according to the latest rankings by “U.S. News & World Report.”  Note that to truly be a ranking of “best”, the survey would have included all cities. Many small towns outrank these larger cities but were not included in the research.

Lee’s Summit tops the local list for Missouri and is joined by Olathe and Shawnee on the Kansas side fo the state line.

Overall, the St. Louis suburb of St. Peters is rated No. 1 in Missouri. “St. Peters offers a strong economy, low crime and a median household income of $94,497,” the magazine said. “It’s close to downtown St. Louis for amenities while maintaining a quieter, family-friendly atmosphere.”

Shawnee outperformed all other cities in Kansas with the news outlet citing desirability and the job market.

But with the good comes the bad. Metro Voice surveyed resident complaints from social media posts and news sources to find out what gripes those who call each city home.

Following are the Missouri and Kansas cities and their rankings.

Missouri rankings

• St. Peters, No. 1. The St. Louis suburb topped the Missouri list with a score of 6.8. The city has a median household income of $94,497 and was cited for its strong economy, low crime and family-friendly atmosphere. Its location gives residents access to St. Louis-area jobs, entertainment and amenities while preserving a quieter suburban feel. The downside: residents complain about traffic, growth pressure and rising housing costs.
• O’Fallon, No. 2. O’Fallon, another St. Louis suburb, ranked second in Missouri with a score of 6.7. The city is known for its strong residential growth, access to the St. Charles County job market and suburban neighborhoods that appeal to families looking for space while remaining within commuting distance of the St. Louis metropolitan area.  The downside: residents cite traffic congestion and parking availability.
• St. Charles, No. 3. St. Charles ranked third with a score of 6.5. Located along the Missouri River, the city combines historic character with suburban convenience. Its downtown district, riverfront, schools and access to St. Louis-area employment helped place it near the top of the state rankings. The downside: residents cite balancing privacy vs tourism.
• Lee’s Summit, No. 4. “Lee’s Summit has a median income of $105,690, a median home value of $321,576 and a strong job market. It’s a growing suburb with good schools and amenities. The average commute time is about 24 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 3.88 percent.” The downside: residents cite road construction, housing prices, school crowding and receptiveness of city officials.
• Blue Springs, No. 5. “Blue Springs is a smaller city with a median income of $87,531. Blue Springs offers a low cost of living, a median home value of $255,092 and a peaceful, family-friendly environment. The average commute time is about 23.43 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 3.35 percent.” The downside: residents cite lack of entertainment and higher-end dining, older and run-down  shopping areas.
• Jefferson City, No. 6. Missouri’s capital ranked sixth with a score of 6.2. The city offers government employment, lower housing costs than many larger metro areas and a central Missouri location. Its size gives residents access to state government, schools, parks and basic amenities without the congestion of a larger city. The downside: residents cite lack of entertainment and aging infrastructure.
• Columbia, No. 7. Columbia ranked seventh with a score of 6.1. Home to the University of Missouri, the city has a strong education and health-care presence, a younger population and a lively downtown. It remains one of Missouri’s best-known college towns, with a mix of students, professionals, retirees and families. The downside: residents regularly cite exploding crime, homelessness and lack of code enforcement. The city has been accused by officials of dumping its homeless population on smaller surrounding communities.
• Florissant, No. 8. Florissant ranked eighth with a score of 6.1. The north St. Louis County suburb offers established neighborhoods, relatively affordable housing and access to the broader St. Louis job market. Its older housing stock and community parks give it a more settled feel than some fast-growing suburbs. The downside: older housing stock and retail districts and crime.
• St. Joseph, No. 9. “The next city to rank on the list, an hour from the KC metropolitan area, has a median rent price of $733 and a median home value of $161,606. The median age of people in the city is 37 years old, and the population is about 71,750 people. Of that population, 68 percent are single, more than the national average.” The downside: residents complain about growing crime, vacant and deteriorating property and limited job growth.
• Cape Girardeau, No. 10. Cape Girardeau ranked 10th with a score of 5.6. The southeast Missouri city sits along the Mississippi River and serves as a regional hub for education, health care, retail and government services. It offers a smaller-city lifestyle while still providing many of the amenities of a regional center. The downside: complaints about limited jobs and traffic congestion abound.
• Independence, No. 11. “About 120,541 people live in Independence, and the median age here is 39. The median household income in Independence is $61,943, and the average commute time is about 22.42 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 6.28 percent.” The downside: residents mention high crime and drug use, panhandling on street corners, unresponsive city leaders and uneven dispersal of city resources among neighborhoods.
• Kansas City, No. 12. About 529,375 people live in Kansas City, and the median age here is 34.8. The median household income in Kansas City is $71,837, and the average commute time is about 20.02 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 4.96 percent. The downside: residents complain about an extremely high crime rate, property taxes, and falling quality of life since 2019.
• Joplin, No. 13. Joplin ranked 13th with a score of 5.3. The southwest Missouri city has long served as a regional center for shopping, health care, education and transportation. It offers lower housing costs than many larger cities and is located near the borders of Kansas and Oklahoma. The downside: residents cite homelessness, limited white-collar jobs, and poverty.
• St. Louis, No. 14. St. Louis ranked 14th in Missouri with a score of 5.2. The city remains one of the state’s major cultural and economic centers, with large health-care systems, universities, museums, sports teams and historic neighborhoods. Its ranking reflects the advantages of big-city amenities as well as the challenges common to older urban centers. The downside: residents complain of the city’s highest crime rate, public schools, uneven city services, road conditions, virtually one-party rule, and depopulation over the last thirty years.
• Springfield, No. 15. Springfield ranked 15th with a score of 4.9. The southwest Missouri city is home to Missouri State University, major health-care employers and a growing business community. It also serves as a gateway to the Ozarks, giving residents access to lakes, outdoor recreation and a lower cost of living than many larger metro areas. The downside: residents complain about poor city services, “woke” city policies, crime and homelessness. The city has a severe housing shortage.

Kansas rankings

U.S. News also ranked the top eight places to live in Kansas, with Johnson County cities taking the top three spots. The Kansas City-area suburbs of Shawnee, Olathe and Overland Park led the state list.

• Shawnee, No. 1. Shawnee ranked as the best place to live in Kansas. The Johnson County city has a population of about 68,918, and the average commute is about 21 minutes. The median home value is $360,688, and the average monthly rent is $1,205. The downside: residents cite road maintenance, growth pressure, and poor code enforcement.
• Olathe, No. 2. Olathe ranked second. The city has a population of about 149,608, and the average commute is about 19 minutes. The median home value is $364,551, and the average monthly rent is $1,214. The downside: traffic was the number one complaint, with city maintenance and the cost of housing following closely.
• Overland Park, No. 3. Overland Park ranked third. With a population of about 205,979, it is the second-largest city in Kansas. The average commute is about 19 minutes. The median home value is $405,127, and the average monthly rent is $1,255. The downside: residents cite public safety, trashy and overgrown streets, poor rental property maintenance and housing affordability. Other concerns include watering down of crime statistics for public relations and marketing purposes.
• Lawrence, No. 4. Lawrence ranked fourth. Home to the University of Kansas, the city has a population of about 98,039 and an average commute of about 16 minutes. The median home value is $273,295, and the average monthly rent is $886. The downside: residents complain of poor sidewalks, affordable housing, and traffic.
• Topeka, No. 5. Topeka ranked fifth. The state capital has a population of about 127,815 and offers some of the most affordable housing among the ranked Kansas cities. The median home value is $151,274, and the average monthly rent is $738. The average commute is about 14 minutes. The downside: the top complaint are poor streets and sidewalks, followed by high crime, and aging housing stock.
• Wichita, No. 6. Wichita ranked sixth. The state’s largest city has a population of about 409,257 and is home to Wichita State University, major employers and a large regional economy. The median home value is $203,877, and the average monthly rent is $751. The average commute is about 17 minutes. The downside: residents complain about street repair, crime and lack of economic development. Another top concern was growing homelessness.
• Kansas City, Kan., No. 7. Kansas City, Kan., ranked seventh. The city has a population of about 158,002 and sits next to Kansas City, Mo., giving residents access to jobs and amenities across the metropolitan area. The median home value is $173,813, and the average monthly rent is $871. The average commute is about 20 minutes. The downside: residents cite growing crime, urban poverty, drugs and uneven code enforcement.
• Manhattan, No. 8. Manhattan is home to Kansas State University with a population of about 58,846. The median home value is $244,461, and the average monthly rent is $930. The average commute is about 13 minutes. The downside: residents note a lack of rental housing, parking and poor of diversified economies, including relying too heavily on K-State and Fort Riley.

The magazine determined the scores for Missouri and Kansas cities by considering such factors as housing affordability, cost of living, quality of education and health care, crime rates and more. These factors were divided into four categories: value, quality of life, desirability and job market. Each category is worth a certain percentage, determined by Americans’ preferences, to create a comprehensive score for each city.

–Alan Goforth and Dwight Widaman.