State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Missouri

Compare counties in Missouri by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in MO

Scotland County

78.9

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in MO

Christian County

78.6

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in MO

Atchison County

75.7

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in MO

Linn County

74.6

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in MO

Osage County

73.9

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Scotland County

Overall score 78.9

Most affordable

Worth County

Affordability 91.8

Best schools

Platte County

Schools 95.7

Safest

Mercer County

Safety 99.5

Lowest taxes

McDonald County

Taxes 92

Best peace & quiet

Nodaway County

Peace & Quiet 95.2

All Missouri counties

Showing 115 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Scotland County FIPS 29199	78.9	68.1	88.7	79.3	91.9	58.1	85	$129,624	$68,913
2	Christian County FIPS 29043	78.6	79.7	62.1	91.7	90.7	71.4	80.3	$313,158	$83,437
3	Atchison County FIPS 29005	75.7	48.3	83.7	94.4	87.8	61.6	90.5	$145,412	$58,750
4	Linn County FIPS 29115	74.6	51.2	81.3	77.6	92.8	76.6	88.1	$144,272	$61,635
5	Osage County FIPS 29151	73.9	73.9	66.3	64.7	91.4	80.5	83.7	$260,766	$76,681
6	Moniteau County FIPS 29135	73.5	73	68.2	67.5	83.8	77.6	87.9	$231,571	$65,715
7	Platte County FIPS 29165	73.5	76.7	51.8	95.7	91.8	48.2	73.8	$386,137	$96,227
8	Clay County FIPS 29047	73.4	73.5	61.5	88.3	97.1	50.9	47.5	$315,755	$88,468
9	Andrew County FIPS 29003	73.2	63.8	59	78.8	96.7	76.8	91.3	$292,856	$75,625
10	Cass County FIPS 29037	71.8	75.8	57.6	74.1	89.8	62.5	78.5	$338,098	$87,535
11	Gentry County FIPS 29075	71.5	47.9	82.9	76.3	90.2	56.1	88.2	$130,750	$55,848
12	St. Charles County FIPS 29183	71.1	83.2	63.7	94.4	56.6	50.5	39.7	$370,415	$104,692
13	Ste. Genevieve County FIPS 29186	70.9	63.4	60.1	91.8	66.6	76.4	80.5	$258,405	$66,339
14	Carroll County FIPS 29033	70.8	43.8	77.4	78.6	84.1	78.9	85.1	$164,473	$62,154
15	Jefferson County FIPS 29099	70.7	68.6	67.1	86.1	63	69.8	63	$290,756	$82,851
16	Holt County FIPS 29087	70.2	45.9	83.8	79.6	70.1	71.8	82.8	$138,200	$61,187
17	Webster County FIPS 29225	70	68	63.8	56.5	88.3	82.7	83.7	$260,887	$71,155
18	Grundy County FIPS 29079	69.9	42.8	82.9	69.8	96.5	55.4	90	$115,055	$51,975
19	Livingston County FIPS 29117	69.4	54.7	71.8	56.6	97.4	73.3	91	$190,537	$63,627
20	Cole County FIPS 29051	69.2	71.9	57.9	60.7	89.2	70.6	83.1	$280,484	$74,876
21	Lafayette County FIPS 29107	69.2	66	70.1	48.2	93.8	71.9	86	$243,027	$80,612
22	Cape Girardeau County FIPS 29031	68.7	59	61.2	69	87.7	74.6	84.4	$245,092	$68,464
23	Nodaway County FIPS 29147	68.3	58.2	58.7	67.1	91.7	71.4	95.2	$220,506	$59,315
24	DeKalb County FIPS 29063	67.9	58.2	65.5	73.9	68.8	77.4	82.9	$233,725	$69,826
25	Macon County FIPS 29121	67.9	51.1	72.1	57.2	89.9	78	87.4	$185,235	$62,357
26	St. Francois County FIPS 29187	67.5	48.8	67.4	74.6	82.9	72.6	77.2	$190,521	$57,477
27	Shelby County FIPS 29205	67.5	47.6	61.5	68.1	92.7	83.3	88.3	$192,336	$51,594
28	Lewis County FIPS 29111	67.3	46.1	62	69.4	92.8	83.9	82.4	$204,648	$59,934
29	Chariton County FIPS 29041	67.2	54	91.2	51.3	-	64.2	82.5	$117,248	$71,520
30	Adair County FIPS 29001	67	45.1	65.1	69.9	93.4	69.9	90	$187,347	$61,536
31	Phelps County FIPS 29161	67	51.9	54.5	77.6	87.5	74	88	$229,919	$58,396
32	Clinton County FIPS 29049	66.8	61.7	56.9	64	88.6	68.5	84.9	$286,444	$70,627
33	Marion County FIPS 29127	66.7	53.2	70.5	50.2	95.2	69	90.4	$192,172	$62,903
34	Stoddard County FIPS 29207	66.5	45.4	81.2	61.2	71.5	74.8	87.8	$148,245	$57,957
35	Johnson County FIPS 29101	66.3	60.6	51.6	68.5	84.8	74.3	87.9	$280,798	$67,272
36	Mercer County FIPS 29129	66	50.4	82.5	33.4	99.5	70.8	81.6	$139,851	$62,679
37	Ray County FIPS 29177	66	58.9	66.1	65.5	68.5	72.8	81.5	$260,455	$74,573
38	Lawrence County FIPS 29109	65.5	58.3	70.7	43.3	81.6	80.2	85.7	$202,572	$61,215
39	Callaway County FIPS 29027	65.4	69.2	63.7	51.3	67.9	74.3	86.6	$264,041	$74,176
40	Pettis County FIPS 29159	65.4	57.6	69.6	48	83	70.2	91.1	$193,123	$60,430
41	Cooper County FIPS 29053	65.1	60.9	66.6	38.7	90.7	76.9	84.7	$240,297	$70,625
42	Washington County FIPS 29221	65.1	44.9	71.3	78.2	51.6	88.1	78.1	$184,052	$56,043
43	Jasper County FIPS 29097	65	54.9	63.6	53.8	86.1	76.1	80.9	$212,445	$60,694
44	Dent County FIPS 29065	64.9	52.9	66	60.5	68.5	83.5	88.5	$192,564	$56,312
45	Warren County FIPS 29219	64.7	70.3	55	47.9	82.6	75.4	77	$331,588	$81,209
46	Sullivan County FIPS 29211	64.6	51.2	86.1	37.9	78.7	66.8	83.5	$95,749	$56,964
47	Wright County FIPS 29229	64.5	46.7	61.8	53.8	89.2	91.1	83.1	$199,339	$47,909
48	Buchanan County FIPS 29021	64.1	52.4	68.5	47.7	88.8	70.1	80	$189,270	$62,158
49	Greene County FIPS 29077	64.1	61	52.2	60.6	89.5	70.1	64.2	$254,958	$61,479
50	Harrison County FIPS 29081	63.8	38.9	80.1	46.3	90.5	69.2	86.4	$133,202	$54,367
51	Shannon County FIPS 29203	63.7	40.6	68.1	60.7	74.9	90.2	83.1	$190,478	$55,222
52	Ralls County FIPS 29173	63.6	56	60	63.4	64.4	80.2	85.6	$253,566	$65,388
53	Iron County FIPS 29093	63.5	32.2	72.4	63.5	83.4	79.4	84.2	$152,578	$48,850
54	Dunklin County FIPS 29069	63.1	37.1	86	45.9	78.4	71.2	85.4	$94,154	$47,849
55	Newton County FIPS 29145	63.1	60.2	64.6	50.8	63	80	85	$242,431	$66,301
56	Bates County FIPS 29013	63	48.9	64.5	58.4	71.7	81.8	81.1	$219,870	$60,733
57	Putnam County FIPS 29171	62.6	54.5	66.9	48.5	73.2	74.8	82.1	$202,875	$63,510
58	Bollinger County FIPS 29017	62.5	55.9	73.9	55	48.8	79.3	76.7	$192,650	$63,814
59	Perry County FIPS 29157	62.5	58.2	65.3	36.9	83.9	71.8	89.4	$224,005	$62,981
60	Schuyler County FIPS 29197	62.4	64.7	70.8	38.3	63.8	74.1	77	$172,279	$61,205
61	Franklin County FIPS 29071	62.3	65.5	64.9	70.7	31.9	67.4	81.1	$264,893	$73,165
62	Boone County FIPS 29019	62.2	66.9	44.2	56.8	86.5	61.9	77.1	$327,640	$72,758
63	Montgomery County FIPS 29139	62.2	55.3	62.9	36.6	93.3	73.2	81.2	$220,702	$65,500
64	Pulaski County FIPS 29169	62	54.3	59.5	57.7	65.3	79.3	86.1	$225,353	$64,466
65	Randolph County FIPS 29175	61.9	53.1	66.8	36.3	90.4	67.7	87.1	$176,844	$53,033
66	Caldwell County FIPS 29025	61.6	53.9	61.2	66.4	52.1	76.2	82.4	$244,690	$64,806
67	Daviess County FIPS 29061	61.6	64.1	45.5	49.4	79.4	86.8	74.6	$287,275	$63,984
68	Polk County FIPS 29167	61.4	55.5	51.1	52.5	78.4	83	84.1	$268,066	$59,647
69	Miller County FIPS 29131	61.3	59.6	44.1	66.2	65.1	83.6	80.4	$270,633	$56,736
70	Worth County FIPS 29227	61	43.4	91.8	30	69.9	65.9	82.8	$96,600	$47,847
71	Taney County FIPS 29213	60.8	39.2	47.9	78	77.2	78.9	78.6	$247,668	$56,497
72	Audrain County FIPS 29007	60.4	46.8	69.6	28.4	91.7	74.1	89.2	$184,383	$59,448
73	Clark County FIPS 29045	60.4	41.1	66.5	56	73.9	70.6	82.2	$174,083	$51,781
74	St. Louis County FIPS 29189	60.4	69.5	64.2	71.5	54	35.3	21.6	$283,685	$82,936
75	Saline County FIPS 29195	60	54.8	69	16.2	94.4	70.9	90.2	$177,112	$57,931
76	Howell County FIPS 29091	59.9	42.6	54.5	63.8	66.3	85	87.8	$215,651	$50,993
77	Lincoln County FIPS 29113	59.7	75.2	65.8	37.3	37	74.5	80.2	$308,176	$89,278
78	Hickory County FIPS 29085	59.6	28.1	40.5	85.9	86.3	86.5	73.2	$201,011	$39,390
79	Crawford County FIPS 29055	59.5	49.6	56.8	42.1	79.8	83.7	82.3	$222,831	$57,629
80	Howard County FIPS 29089	59.5	54.2	63.7	31.5	77.7	78.4	83.9	$232,616	$65,938
81	Knox County FIPS 29103	59.5	40.3	64.8	32.8	93.7	84.7	83.2	$190,316	$57,788
82	Maries County FIPS 29125	59.3	59.8	54	49.2	59.7	82	77.9	$248,943	$59,455
83	Pike County FIPS 29163	59.3	45.3	57.4	46.1	78.5	82.3	87.6	$215,605	$54,989
84	Barry County FIPS 29009	59.2	51.9	54.7	45.5	72.2	84.9	82.7	$240,818	$58,346
85	Madison County FIPS 29123	59.2	49.8	69.9	60.5	39.3	70.6	84.7	$169,792	$54,434
86	Dallas County FIPS 29059	58.8	48.4	54.7	27.5	95.8	90.6	81.2	$235,068	$53,464
87	Barton County FIPS 29011	58.3	45.6	61.2	43.8	70.9	78.6	87.2	$185,001	$51,635
88	Laclede County FIPS 29105	58.3	47.5	52.3	48	72.9	82.7	90.2	$234,639	$53,282
89	Dade County FIPS 29057	58	56.7	62.3	32.8	64.8	77.4	83.6	$197,189	$53,750
90	Douglas County FIPS 29067	58	44.6	46.1	58.2	69.5	89.9	86	$235,304	$45,985
91	Texas County FIPS 29215	57.7	48.6	60.5	34.5	68.5	89.1	86.8	$202,214	$50,036
92	Gasconade County FIPS 29073	57.5	55.3	63.9	49.1	41.3	75.8	82.1	$235,328	$64,232
93	Monroe County FIPS 29137	57.4	48	53.1	44.7	76.3	76.1	83	$223,194	$54,516
94	Vernon County FIPS 29217	57.2	45.6	66.9	55.3	40.4	73.4	91.5	$175,200	$52,230
95	Jackson County FIPS 29095	56.8	56.8	59.6	38.1	98.4	43	20.6	$246,135	$68,577
96	Oregon County FIPS 29149	56.7	39.7	60	53.7	52.5	88.4	85.6	$172,134	$43,069
97	Camden County FIPS 29029	56.3	57.4	43.9	50	61.4	80.1	75.9	$314,097	$66,387
98	McDonald County FIPS 29119	55.6	42.1	48.2	47.8	66.9	92	84.3	$239,554	$52,375
99	St. Clair County FIPS 29185	55.5	49.7	54	38.1	64.2	82.7	80.7	$219,432	$53,043
100	Henry County FIPS 29083	55.2	58.8	61.3	29.1	50.6	73.5	88.7	$221,455	$57,926
101	Cedar County FIPS 29039	54.8	52.7	47.9	28.9	77.3	79.9	84.9	$228,646	$48,181
102	Reynolds County FIPS 29179	54.8	30.5	63.4	44.2	63.5	91	77.6	$167,081	$45,028
103	Stone County FIPS 29209	54.8	47	39.2	48.5	75.6	85.9	72.7	$316,884	$63,520
104	Benton County FIPS 29015	54.6	38.6	62.4	45.1	58.3	80.3	71.5	$188,776	$52,567
105	Carter County FIPS 29035	54.6	37.6	64.6	44	49.3	86.6	83.4	$163,266	$50,000
106	New Madrid County FIPS 29143	54.4	34.9	87	26.8	50.2	65.2	89.3	$96,623	$51,881
107	Ozark County FIPS 29153	54.2	24.8	40.2	70.9	73.1	89.2	78.5	$230,336	$44,163
108	Scott County FIPS 29201	53.8	54.9	81.5	24.9	16.9	76.9	89.3	$159,684	$62,782
109	Mississippi County FIPS 29133	52.5	17	82.8	19.7	85.6	63.5	89.1	$104,063	$48,160
110	Butler County FIPS 29023	52.3	34.8	62.8	45.8	45.5	75.7	87.3	$169,549	$49,089
111	Morgan County FIPS 29141	52	48.5	35.4	42.5	69.3	84.5	73.5	$286,047	$53,412
112	Ripley County FIPS 29181	51.9	32.6	66	30.9	55.2	89.3	76.4	$151,865	$42,037
113	Wayne County FIPS 29223	51	23.1	76.2	22.6	59.7	86.7	79.6	$130,335	$47,226
114	Pemiscot County FIPS 29155	46.8	22.1	84	14.1	54.2	49	89.1	$84,449	$40,089
115	St. Louis city FIPS 29510	32.4	43.7	65.2	1.8	0	39.1	17.9	$177,341	$56,160