The Best Places to Live in Missouri
Olivette, Ballwin, and Glendale are some of the best places to live and buy a home in Missouri.
Written by Talullah Blanco
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Top-rated schools and low cost of living make towns like Olivette, St. Ann, and Peculiar among the best places to live in
Missouri
. According to U.S. News, Missouri is one of the best states to live in based on opportunities, fiscal stability, and economy. In fact, Missouri ranks number four for providing its citizens with opportunities to succeed, including affordability, economic opportunity, and equality. With the cost of living below the national average, Missouri is a great place to settle down.
We know there’s a lot to consider when choosing your future home. That’s why
Jerry
, the car and homeowners insurance
broker and super app
, is going to help you find the best places to live in Missouri. RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
What makes a good place to live?
Gas, grocery prices, and the cost of homeownership are just a few factors that make somewhere a good place to live. But your personal preferences, including weather and activities you enjoy, will factor into where you decide to live.
We’ve done the research and compiled everything you need to know about eight Missouri towns: Olivette, Oakland, Richmond, St. Ann, Peculiar, Ballwin, Glendale, and Brentwood. For all eight towns, we’ve taken note of the following factors:
- Median household income
- Median home price
- Cost of living
- Quality of schools
- Crime rates
- Healthcare
- Average commute times
- FEMA risk index ratings
To help you find your future home, we divided our findings into three categories: the best places for families, the most affordable places, and the best places to buy a house.
The best places for families to live in Missouri
Quality education, diversity, and public safety are extremely important when finding a place to settle down with your family. When considering those factors, Olivette and Oakland stood out.
Olivette
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 7,498
Median household income: $86,250
Median home price: $338,100
A suburb of St. Louis, Olivette is a wonderful place to raise a family. Olivette public schools were given an A+ rating and ranked among the top 3 public school districts in Missouri.
Olivette is the second most ethnically and economically diverse suburb in the state, making it a welcoming home to families from all backgrounds.
Your kids will have no shortage of community activities in Olivette. The town’s Parks and Recreation department hosts Kids Night Out, soccer and flag football teams, and summer and sports camps.
Oakland
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 1,713
Median household income: $107,500
Median home price: $318,500
Oakland, another suburb of St. Louis, offers families a charming small-town alternative to the buzz of the nearby city. Excellent schools and low crime rates make Oakland the #1 best place to raise a family in Missouri.
When it comes to safety, Oakland received an A+ rating based on violent and property crime rates. With zero violent crimes and just 804.1 thefts per 100,000 residents, you’ll have peace of mind living in Oakland.
The most affordable places to live in Missouri
Cost of living is one of the most important factors when considering a place to live. While Missouri’s cost of living is considerably lower than the national average, that number spikes in cities with the best schools and lowest crime rates.
That’s why we’ve included the three most affordable places to live in Missouri. We used the overall cost of living and average commute times (which indicates fuel costs) to determine relative affordability.
Richmond
Location: Ray County
Population: 5,622
Median household income: $51,362
Median home price: $169,500
Located 40 miles east of
Kansas City
, Richmond
offers country living with city amenities. The overall cost of living in Richmond is 82.5, which is less than both the state and national average. With most folks driving to Kansas City for work, the average commute is 30 minutes. You may spend more on gas each month, but car insurance in Richmond is just $152 per month.
There’s no shortage of fun and free outdoor activities in Richmond, with over 60 acres of parks and natural areas.
St. Ann
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 12,689
Median household income: $47,994
Median home price: $92,000
If you are young, single, and looking for an affordable place to live in Missouri, then
St. Ann
could be your future home. A suburb of St. Louis, you can enjoy the city's perks without breaking the bank in St. Ann.Whether or not you are single, living in St. Ann is inexpensive, with a cost of living of 77.4. And with the seventh-best home price to income ratio, you may want to consider buying a home in St. Ann.
With an average commute of 20.9 minutes, you’ll enjoy low gas prices. However, living in such close proximity to St. Louis may cause your insurance rates to go up. But, if you use
Jerry
, you can likely save on a policy!Peculiar
Location: Cass County
Population: 5,305
Median household income: $74,664
Median home price: $147,800
The only thing peculiar about Peculiar is the name itself. While the cost of living is 91 in Peculiar, the city offers residents restaurants, parks, and community-centered activities.
Caring Hearts of Peculiar
hosts several events, like the Annual Peculiar Street Cleanup Day, that uplift the community.Just 30 miles south of Kansas City, Peculiar residents can expect an average commute of 23 minutes, which is less than the national average.
Best places to buy a house in Missouri
When you are looking to settle down, you’ll want to consider your future home’s housing market and climate. To find out the best places to buy a house in Missouri, we took a look at Realtor.com’s summaries of the housing market and the FEMA Risk Index.
Ballwin
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 30,252
Median household income: $98,750
Median home price: $350,500
The largest city on our list also happens to be the safest city.
Ballwin
has a crime rate that is 66% lower than the national average, which means lower homeowners insurance rates.Named One of America’s Best Places to Live by Money Magazine, Ballwin is currently a seller's market. However, the home listing price is relatively low considering the city’s safety rating and excellent public school system.
Glendale
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 5,863
Median household income: $113,565
Median home price: $446,200
Located along the Mississippi River, Glendale is a suburb of St Louis and is a great place for homebuyers looking to raise a family.
Most Glendale residents are college-educated homeowners who support education despite leaning conservative. Glendale has excellent public schools spending $12,616 per student and a 15-student-to-teacher ratio.
Tornadoes and flooding are a major risk to homeowners in Glendale, raising St. Louis County FEMA Risk Index to 30.85. However, homeowners and flood insurance will cover any losses you may face due to either peril.
Brentwood
Location: St. Louis County
Population: 7,986
Median household income: $73,358
Median home price: $248,900
Like most of the nation, Brentwood is a seller’s market. Unlike most of the nation, the median home listing price is still relatively affordable, and the housing market is trending down 5.5% each year.
If you have children, you’ll be overjoyed to know Brentwood Public Schools spend $17,274 per student, which is significantly higher than the national average spend of $12,383. Not to mention there are just 10 students to every one teacher.
Similar to homeowners in Glendale, Brentwood residents face tornadoes and flooding, meaning you’ll want a good home insurance policy.
How to find affordable homeowners and car insurance in Missouri
Wherever you decide is the best place for you to live in Missouri,
Jerry
can help you find the lowest rates by bundling your homeowners and car insurance
policies. Jerry is the easiest and most effective way to find a home, car, or renters insurance policy that is customized for you.
After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They even help cancel your old policy!
Jerry users save an average of $800+ per year on their car insurance alone.
“I’ll keep this simple for you. They literally saved me $100 a month.Jerryis an amazing platform.” —Indiana L.
Are you overpaying for your car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.717k Ratings5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged
.webp&w=64&q=75)
.jpg&w=64&q=75){kind=avatar}
