The 10 Worst Places To Live In Missouri For 2023


The worst places to live in Missouri are Jennings and Aurora for 2023 based on Friday Night Science.

Missouri might be one of the most unique states in the country. Are you in the midwest or are you in the south? While much of the state is farmland, there are some southern features like the Ozarks that dominate the landscape. You’re friendly like the south, and you love frog giggin, but you love baseball and winter snow, too.

Plus, you’re in the SEC. Go figure.

Is it all rosy in the Show Me State? Of course not. Just like every other state, Missouri has its least desirable spots. The purpose of this post is to use science and data to determine which places are the worst you could possibly live in if you make Missouri your home.

After analyzing 125 of the state’s most populous cities (over 5,100 people), we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in the state of Missouri:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Missouri For 2023

  1. Jennings
  2. Aurora
  3. Caruthersville
  4. Charleston
  5. Poplar Bluff
  6. Kennett
  7. Sedalia
  8. Ferguson
  9. Lebanon
  10. West Plains

Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in Missouri, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in Missouri is Glendale.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Missouri? The worst place to live in Missouri is Jennings.

Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2023.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more Missouri reading, check out:


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


The 10 Worst Places To Live In Missouri For 2023

Jennings, MO

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 13,129
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $58,000
Unemployment Rate: 8.3%
More on Jennings:  Data | Photos

Welcome to Jennings, where criminals go to make a living. Jennings has the 2nd highest crime rate in the state. When you’re within Jennings city limits, you have a 1 in 0.0 chance of being the victim of a property crime such as a car break in or home invasion robbery every year.

Plus, there were 80 violent crimes here in 2023. For a city of 13,129 people, that’s absolutely off the charts high. You have a 1 in 0 chance of being raped, attacked or killed when you’re in Jennings every year as well.

Jennings is a northern suburb of St. Louis.

Aurora, MO

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 7,268
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $84,800
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
More on Aurora:  Data | Photos

Fun fact: the area around Aurora was founded by an ancestor of Brad Pitt. In the 19th century, the area became prominent thanks to a booming mining industry. Unfortunately, the economy has turned sour in the 21st century. High unemployment and low wages earn the town the title of number 2 worst location in Missouri.

You’ll have trouble finding a good-paying job in Aurora. The unemployment rate sits at 12.3% and the median income tracks at $39,142. Aurora has other issues as well. The crime rate runs 120% above the U.S. norm. In addition, the area struggles with housing, diversity, and education.

This town in the southwestern part of Missouri has its charms. For instance, locals can check out Baldwin Park.

Caruthersville, MO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 5,606
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $98,400
Unemployment Rate: 9.1%
More on Caruthersville:  Data | Photos

Built along the Mississippi River, across the water from Tennessee, Caruthersville is famous for two main reasons. First, the town hosted an early iteration of the “steel cage” professional wrestling match in 1936. Second, the community provides a crucial transportation spot: I-155 runs through town, toward the only bridge across the Mississippi for the more than 150 miles between Cairo, Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Unfortunately, neither of these distinctions provides a significant boost to the town’s economy. The median income sits at $33,922 and the unemployment rate stands at 9.1%.

Caruthersville also suffers a major safety problem, with a crime rate more than 110% above the national standard. In addition, the 5,606 residents struggle with housing issues and weak schools.

Charleston, MO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,184
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $76,500
Unemployment Rate: 9.4%
More on Charleston:  Data | Photos

The tiny city of Charleston is the 4th worst place you can live in the state of Missouri in 2023.

It’s unlucky for Charleston, which has the 5th highest unemployment rate (9.4%), the 2nd lowest household incomes ($32,813) and the 4th lowest home prices in the state ($76,500).

Basically, a lot of people in Charleston are out of work, and nearly 1 in 4 people who live here are below the poverty line. And crime is certainly a factor here as well. Although it’s not one of the most dangerous places we’ll look at, it’s in the top 20%.

Finally, the kids who live in Charleston get not only the lowest support in the state, in terms of spending levels, but some of the lowest in the nation. The national average for spending per pupil is $14,000. In Charleston, it’s half that. Wow.

Add it all up, and this is truly one of the worst places you could live in Missouri. Charleston is in the far southeast corner of the state.

Poplar Bluff, MO

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 16,318
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $101,300
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
More on Poplar Bluff:  Data | Photos

Poplar Bluff might be a pretty place, as it’s tucked down on Route 60 in the Ozark region of the state. However, the fact remains, living here is tough. Residents average poverty level incomes every year, and crime is the 9th highest in the state. That might be a surprise for a small area so far removed for major cities.

Would you want to live in a mountainous area where people are broke and stealing from one another?

Kennett, MO

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 10,507
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $88,000
Unemployment Rate: 8.1%
More on Kennett:  Data | Photos

Kennett is located in the Missouri boot heel down near the Arkansas/Tennessee state line. Not only are there few pure entertainment options here, the economy here is lacking. More than 8.1% of Kennett residents are out of work, and households bring in less than $50,127 a year. Schools are also way underfunded.

Crime is way higher than the state average in Kennett. Residents have a 1 in 17.7 chance of being the victim of a property crime when within Kennett city limits every year.

Sedalia, MO

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 21,696
Rank Last Year: 18 (Up 11)
Median Home Value: $106,000
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
More on Sedalia:  Data | Photos

Ferguson, MO

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 18,826
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $78,900
Unemployment Rate: 6.4%
More on Ferguson:  Data | Photos

Lebanon, MO

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 14,880
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $110,000
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%
More on Lebanon:  Data | Photos

West Plains, MO

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 12,048
Rank Last Year: 29 (Up 19)
Median Home Value: $102,600
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
More on West Plains:  Data | Photos

Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in Missouri for 2023

To figure out the worst places to live in Missouri, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 125 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 125 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in Missouri — Jennings. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in Missouri.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the worst places to live in Missouri.

Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In Missouri

If you’re looking at areas in Missouri with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Jennings ranks as the worst city to live in Missouri for 2023.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Missouri:

  1. Ladue (Pop. 8,949)
  2. Clayton (Pop. 16,905)
  3. Glendale (Pop. 6,143)

For more Missouri reading, check out:

Worst Places To Live In Missouri?

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Jennings 13,129 8.3% $58,000
2 Aurora 7,268 12.3% $84,800
3 Caruthersville 5,606 9.1% $98,400
4 Charleston 5,184 9.4% $76,500
5 Poplar Bluff 16,318 8.1% $101,300
6 Kennett 10,507 8.1% $88,000
7 Sedalia 21,696 6.1% $106,000
8 Ferguson 18,826 6.4% $78,900
9 Lebanon 14,880 8.2% $110,000
10 West Plains 12,048 4.1% $102,600
11 Park Hills 8,708 7.7% $87,000
12 Harrisonville 10,070 7.9% $155,400
13 Warrenton 8,450 5.3% $150,400
14 Carthage 15,395 6.6% $109,800
15 Grandview 25,931 6.0% $127,200
16 Branson 12,579 3.2% $170,800
17 Bonne Terre 6,772 7.1% $103,600
18 Fulton 12,691 11.8% $134,300
19 Richmond 5,961 3.0% $112,300
20 Neosho 12,439 4.8% $102,500
21 Springfield 168,603 5.4% $127,800
22 Valley Park 6,864 11.2% $188,200
23 Mexico 11,592 7.1% $93,800
24 Nevada 8,111 4.5% $80,800
25 Union 12,108 6.1% $160,500
26 Sullivan 6,192 3.6% $117,400
27 Black Jack 6,663 11.3% $141,100
28 Bellefontaine Neighbors 10,702 5.6% $68,200
29 Independence 122,230 6.1% $130,400
30 Boonville 8,036 7.2% $136,200
31 St. Louis 302,787 6.0% $153,200
32 Sikeston 16,054 4.2% $138,100
33 Overland 15,908 6.9% $96,300
34 Clinton 8,844 8.4% $120,400
35 Joplin 51,539 4.8% $129,100
36 Hazelwood 25,466 9.1% $127,500
37 Berkeley 8,310 4.7% $66,000
38 Hannibal 17,165 5.3% $115,900
39 Moberly 13,933 5.3% $123,100
40 Bridgeton 11,417 2.3% $195,200
41 Kirksville 17,600 5.5% $118,800
42 St. Joseph 73,138 4.9% $120,300
43 De Soto 6,429 4.5% $119,000
44 Bolivar 10,718 3.9% $139,400
45 Excelsior Springs 10,595 4.5% $147,200
46 Pacific 6,898 3.6% $196,200
47 Raytown 29,893 4.7% $124,300
48 Monett 9,512 4.0% $123,300
49 Waynesville 5,336 8.8% $182,100
50 St. John 6,617 5.2% $80,100
51 Pevely 5,974 6.4% $156,700
52 Farmington 17,959 3.2% $152,800
53 St. Robert 5,191 0.5% $174,300
54 Festus 12,609 6.0% $162,200
55 Marshfield 7,391 5.1% $144,800
56 Perryville 8,482 4.7% $148,600
57 Cape Girardeau 39,415 4.0% $157,200
58 Wildwood 35,384 3.2% $398,100
59 Dexter 7,947 1.5% $91,100
60 Pleasant Hill 8,673 8.5% $186,400
61 Florissant 52,382 7.8% $107,700
62 Belton 23,832 4.4% $153,700
63 Trenton 5,547 4.8% $83,900
64 Rolla 19,949 4.9% $142,900
65 Cameron 8,987 3.7% $117,300
66 St. Ann 13,007 4.2% $95,600
67 Liberty 30,129 2.9% $206,800
68 Oak Grove 8,228 5.3% $155,700
69 Peculiar 5,559 3.4% $166,400
70 Chillicothe 9,253 4.0% $98,900
71 Republic 18,313 3.2% $141,000
72 Gladstone 26,825 5.5% $163,700
73 Macon 5,459 2.6% $96,800
74 Washington 14,607 3.3% $170,000
75 Ozark 20,874 3.2% $173,800
76 Warrensburg 19,509 6.2% $166,900
77 Columbia 124,342 3.9% $215,300
78 Arnold 20,808 3.1% $168,400
79 Blue Springs 58,265 3.9% $189,100
80 Marshall 13,431 2.4% $111,800
81 Troy 12,463 2.3% $160,600
82 Jackson 15,272 4.8% $180,500
83 Willard 6,233 1.9% $159,600
84 Lee’s Summit 100,772 3.8% $248,800
85 Kearney 10,260 1.1% $219,400
86 Maplewood 8,220 0.9% $190,500
87 Grain Valley 15,435 4.0% $198,400
88 Carl Junction 8,099 1.6% $171,500
89 Smithville 10,211 1.3% $217,800
90 Savannah 5,087 1.5% $114,600
91 Weldon Spring 5,348 3.7% $423,500
92 Battlefield 5,957 3.3% $165,200
93 St. Peters 57,289 3.4% $206,700
94 Nixa 22,925 4.0% $191,000
95 Raymore 22,722 2.7% $245,900
96 Eureka 11,663 4.5% $295,500
97 Ellisville 9,908 5.4% $289,400
98 Wentzville 43,213 3.4% $246,200
99 Maryville 11,070 2.4% $132,700
100 Odessa 5,538 0.3% $163,100

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.