The 10 Poorest Cities In Missouri For 2024


The poorest places in Missouri are Bonne Terre and Jennings for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Like all states, Missouri has certain places that are going on hard times. These Missouri places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.

Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Missouri.

To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 128 cities in Missouri with more than 5,000 people.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Poorest Places In Missouri Map

What’s the poorest city in Missouri? According to the facts, Bonne Terre is the poorest place in Missouri for 2024.

This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.

For more Missouri reading, check out:

The 10 Poorest Cities In Missouri For 2024

1. Bonne Terre

Bonne Terre, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Jon Roanhaus | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 6,863
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $34,409 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.8% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,390
More on Bonne Terre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Bonne Terre, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Missouri thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.

The city of 6,863 people averages the 2nd lowest median household income in Missouri and the 2nd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.

2. Jennings

Jennings, MO

Source: Wikipedia User User:LittletT889 | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 12,996
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $32,462 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.6% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,849
More on Jennings: Data | Cost Of Living

The second poorest city in Missouri is Jennings.

The city ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty and lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 3rd highest in the Show Me State.

3. Caruthersville

Caruthersville, MO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 5,504
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 4)
Median Income: $35,585 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.9% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,537
More on Caruthersville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Placing as the third poorest city, Caruthersville’s median income ranks as the 3rd lowest.

And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 27.93% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.

But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Show Me State.

4. Berkeley

Berkeley, MO

Source: HomeSnacks
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,232
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 4)
Median Income: $37,757 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.1% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,643
More on Berkeley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Berkeley ranks as the fourth poorest place in Missouri.

The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state.

That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.

5. West Plains

West Plains, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Truett Ray | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 12,250
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Income: $38,676 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.8% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 4,136
More on West Plains: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The fifth poorest city in Missouri is West Plains.

The city ranks as having the 7th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 3rd highest in Missouri.

Still not the best news for West Plains.

6. Poplar Bluff

Poplar Bluff, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Michael Gäbler | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 16,313
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $37,448 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 26.9% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,396
More on Poplar Bluff: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Poplar Bluff ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Show Me State.

It ranks as having the 9th highest incidence of poverty and the 23rd highest unemployment rate.

7. Carthage

Carthage, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Maureen Didde from Kansas City, MO, USA | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 15,491
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Income: $43,526 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.9% (highest)
People In Poverty: 5,409
More on Carthage: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Carthage places as the seventh poorest city in Missouri.

The city of over 15,491 ranks as having the highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.

8. Kirksville

Kirksville, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Sector001 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 17,533
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 3)
Median Income: $41,089 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.9% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,235
More on Kirksville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Kirksville ranks as the eighth poorest city in Missouri.

The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.

9. Rolla

Rolla, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Robert Lawton | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 20,025
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Income: $37,685 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.5% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,898
More on Rolla: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Rolla couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Missouri; it ranks number 9.

While the median income is the 5th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Rolla ranks as having the 12th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Missouri.

10. Moberly

Moberly, MO

Source: Wikipedia User Rvanarsdale | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,708
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 5)
Median Income: $39,332 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.3% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,198
More on Moberly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Missouri is Moberly.

The city of 13,708 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Show Me State.

Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Missouri for 2024

The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.

However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:

  • Poverty Level
  • Median Household Income

After we collected the data for all 128 places with more than 5,000 people in Missouri, we ranked each place from 1 to 128 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.

We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Bonne Terre, crowned the “Poorest Place In Missouri For 2024”.

This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Missouri.

Summary: The Poorest Cities In Missouri For 2024

Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Missouri, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Missouri.

When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.

If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Missouri, according to data:

    Richest: Ladue
    2nd Richest: Des Peres
    3rd Richest: Parkville

For more Missouri reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Missouri

Rank City Population Poverty Rate Median Income People In Poverty
1 Bonne Terre 6,863 34.8% $34,409 2,390
2 Jennings 12,996 29.6% $32,462 3,849
3 Caruthersville 5,504 27.9% $35,585 1,537
4 Berkeley 8,232 32.1% $37,757 2,643
5 West Plains 12,250 33.8% $38,676 4,136
6 Poplar Bluff 16,313 26.9% $37,448 4,396
7 Carthage 15,491 34.9% $43,526 5,409
8 Kirksville 17,533 29.9% $41,089 5,235
9 Rolla 20,025 24.5% $37,685 4,898
10 Moberly 13,708 23.3% $39,332 3,198
11 Bolivar 10,780 21.9% $40,530 2,365
12 Nevada 8,128 23.4% $44,318 1,900
13 Dexter 7,910 22.1% $45,617 1,747
14 Bellefontaine Neighbors 10,637 22.9% $46,115 2,430
15 Springfield 168,873 20.3% $43,450 34,314
16 Maryville 10,691 26.0% $49,144 2,777
17 Branson 12,651 26.8% $49,790 3,391
18 Ferguson 18,546 21.1% $47,410 3,909
19 Monett 9,632 18.5% $42,635 1,779
20 Lebanon 15,023 20.4% $45,634 3,061
21 Sikeston 16,146 19.9% $47,464 3,221
22 Waynesville 5,372 18.5% $47,193 995
23 St. Robert 5,242 27.6% $52,627 1,446
24 Cape Girardeau 39,795 21.6% $51,671 8,611
25 Neosho 12,670 19.9% $49,301 2,520
26 Clinton 8,908 18.0% $48,116 1,601
27 Aurora 7,290 15.4% $44,728 1,124
28 Sedalia 21,767 17.6% $48,518 3,835
29 Mexico 11,502 17.0% $47,585 1,957
30 Farmington 17,859 17.1% $49,317 3,053
31 Kennett 10,383 20.9% $52,907 2,169
32 Joplin 51,848 17.3% $50,996 8,990
33 St. Louis 298,018 20.2% $52,941 60,140
34 Trenton 5,527 15.0% $48,909 830
35 Park Hills 8,653 15.9% $50,628 1,374
36 Cameron 9,101 15.6% $50,206 1,417
37 Webb City 13,002 21.0% $58,964 2,731
38 Perryville 8,536 17.6% $52,500 1,504
39 Columbia 126,172 21.4% $60,455 26,937
40 Warrensburg 19,317 19.8% $54,535 3,824
41 St. Joseph 72,198 18.1% $54,515 13,031
42 De Soto 6,430 12.0% $44,788 770
43 Grandview 25,921 15.2% $51,048 3,950
44 Macon 5,452 14.2% $50,101 773
45 St. Ann 12,917 12.5% $48,081 1,619
46 Hannibal 17,003 16.6% $52,746 2,822
47 Marshfield 7,501 20.9% $63,842 1,569
48 Boonville 7,725 13.9% $50,932 1,073
49 St. John 6,583 13.7% $52,000 898
50 Marshall 13,687 13.6% $52,171 1,854
51 Independence 122,218 15.1% $57,415 18,503
52 Hazelwood 25,345 14.3% $55,111 3,621
53 Richmond 5,975 15.8% $61,694 941
54 Black Jack 6,632 16.9% $63,617 1,120
55 Chillicothe 9,091 12.9% $54,119 1,170
56 Pevely 6,012 17.1% $68,141 1,025
57 Warrenton 8,648 14.6% $62,096 1,258
58 Overland 15,838 10.4% $51,749 1,642
59 Kansas City 505,958 14.9% $65,256 75,337
60 Republic 18,824 13.3% $63,102 2,509
61 Valley Park 6,848 13.2% $63,478 902
62 Savannah 5,068 7.5% $51,694 378
63 Harrisonville 10,024 10.6% $57,607 1,062
64 Jefferson City 42,644 12.3% $63,649 5,258
65 Maplewood 8,205 10.7% $58,448 880
66 Ozark 21,459 12.7% $66,631 2,723
67 Sullivan 6,441 9.5% $59,243 611
68 Festus 12,772 12.2% $65,942 1,555
69 Fulton 12,648 9.3% $59,544 1,176
70 University City 34,850 13.4% $71,888 4,662
71 Pacific 7,239 6.2% $52,155 452
72 Raytown 29,772 10.9% $64,542 3,245
73 Excelsior Springs 10,546 12.8% $74,196 1,346
74 Gladstone 26,964 11.5% $68,633 3,090
75 Bridgeton 11,422 12.1% $69,982 1,386
76 Florissant 52,167 9.2% $64,178 4,783
77 Carl Junction 8,197 11.0% $69,259 903
78 Oak Grove 8,304 11.0% $71,006 915
79 Belton 24,241 8.9% $68,030 2,157
80 Troy 12,964 11.1% $74,463 1,439
81 Willard 6,342 11.5% $76,500 728
82 Union 12,341 7.5% $68,864 931
83 Jackson 15,394 8.4% $72,500 1,291
84 Arnold 20,840 8.3% $72,317 1,735
85 Nixa 23,523 7.2% $74,814 1,698
86 Pleasant Hill 8,822 7.5% $88,408 666
87 Manchester 18,240 7.6% $89,153 1,380
88 Grain Valley 15,688 7.0% $82,364 1,096
89 Liberty 30,299 7.7% $91,512 2,320
90 Shrewsbury 6,352 6.9% $82,681 436
91 Washington 14,769 6.2% $75,127 915
92 Blue Springs 58,720 6.4% $82,965 3,781
93 Peculiar 5,675 7.2% $91,783 408
94 Maryland Heights 28,099 5.4% $82,232 1,508
95 Smithville 10,416 7.2% $95,122 747
96 St. Charles 70,687 5.9% $83,589 4,198
97 Raymore 23,232 6.3% $96,536 1,458
98 Brentwood 8,173 5.6% $89,688 454
99 Battlefield 6,046 4.2% $82,302 255
100 Richmond Heights 9,186 6.0% $94,384 549
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

One thought on “The 10 Poorest Cities In Missouri For 2024

  1. No wonder Eldon is ranked 10th; it lost all of it’s industry thinking it was a tourist town???????

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