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Most Americans have never been to Missouri. However, as the people who live there know, Missouri is an awesome state.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Missouri has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Show Me State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.
After analyzing more than 231 of Missouri's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Missouri where you'd never want to live:
These are the worst small towns in Missouri for 2022:
So what is the worst small town to call home in Missouri for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Winona is the worst small town to live in Missouri.
Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Missouri has its stuff figured out.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Missouri or the worst places to live in Missouri.
If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Missouri For 2022
1. Winona
/10
Population: 1,094
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $58,600 (14th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.2% (5worst)
More on Winona: Data
2. Ellington
/10
Population: 1,380
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $48,300 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 17.5% (5th worst)
More on Ellington: Data
3. Senath
/10
Population: 1,721
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $69,100 (46th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 12.6% (15th worst)
More on Senath: Data
4. Granby
/10
Population: 2,224
Rank Last Year: 65 (Up 61)
Median Home Value: $66,800 (36th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.2% (12th worst)
More on Granby: Data
5. Clarkton
/10
Population: 1,105
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 10)
Median Home Value: $42,700 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (73rd worst)
More on Clarkton: Data
6. Steelville
/10
Population: 1,485
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $79,700 (70th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.0% (23rd worst)
More on Steelville: Data
7. Houston
/10
Population: 2,927
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $82,200 (77th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.1% (43rd worst)
More on Houston: Data
8. Willow Springs
/10
Population: 1,902
Rank Last Year: 55 (Up 47)
Median Home Value: $72,500 (50th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.4% (32nd worst)
More on Willow Springs: Data
9. Noel
/10
Population: 2,051
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 7)
Median Home Value: $64,400 (28th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (150th worst)
More on Noel: Data
10. Campbell
/10
Population: 1,768
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $50,600 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 13.2% (13th worst)
More on Campbell: Data
How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?
In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Missouri, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.
So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.
How we determined the worst small towns to live in Missouri for 2022
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 231 to be exact.
Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.
There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In Missouri
If you're analyzing teeny places in the Show Me State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Missouri, according to science:
- Frontenac (Pop. 3,538)
- Weatherby Lake (Pop. 2,510)
- Warson Woods (Pop. 2,387)
For more Missouri reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Missouri
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Winona | 1,094 |
2 | Ellington | 1,380 |
3 | Senath | 1,721 |
4 | Granby | 2,224 |
5 | Clarkton | 1,105 |
6 | Steelville | 1,485 |
7 | Houston | 2,927 |
8 | Willow Springs | 1,902 |
9 | Noel | 2,051 |
10 | Campbell | 1,768 |
11 | Hayti | 2,380 |
12 | Lilbourn | 1,044 |
13 | Marble Hill | 2,001 |
14 | Lamar | 4,284 |
15 | Clarence | 1,050 |
16 | Carterville | 2,157 |
17 | Southwest City | 1,064 |
18 | Kissee Mills | 1,128 |
19 | Hillsdale | 1,029 |
20 | Malden | 4,136 |
21 | Pine Lawn | 3,604 |
22 | Licking | 2,612 |
23 | Humansville | 1,391 |
24 | Doniphan | 2,467 |
25 | Flordell Hills | 1,188 |
26 | Edina | 1,253 |
27 | Greenfield | 1,401 |
28 | Mansfield | 1,257 |
29 | Seymour | 1,913 |
30 | Bloomfield | 2,404 |
31 | Cabool | 2,611 |
32 | Pagedale | 3,301 |
33 | Rich Hill | 1,402 |
34 | Leadwood | 1,579 |
35 | Salem | 4,904 |
36 | La Monte | 1,046 |
37 | Mountain Grove | 4,703 |
38 | Castle Point | 2,390 |
39 | Steele | 1,975 |
40 | Stover | 1,004 |
41 | East Prairie | 2,980 |
42 | Bel-Ridge | 2,686 |
43 | Versailles | 2,983 |
44 | Stockton | 1,810 |
45 | Sugar Creek | 3,281 |
46 | Buffalo | 3,101 |
47 | Bernie | 1,906 |
48 | Canton | 2,455 |
49 | Richland | 2,388 |
50 | Purdy | 1,312 |
51 | New Madrid | 2,863 |
52 | Anderson | 2,362 |
53 | Piedmont | 3,550 |
54 | Scott City | 4,538 |
55 | Wellston | 1,891 |
56 | Cuba | 3,305 |
57 | Van Buren | 1,241 |
58 | Oran | 1,285 |
59 | Lockwood | 1,078 |
60 | Duenweg | 1,255 |
61 | El Dorado Springs | 3,562 |
62 | Cassville | 3,206 |
63 | Mountain View | 2,663 |
64 | Potosi | 2,572 |
65 | Carrollton | 3,427 |
66 | Elsberry | 2,024 |
67 | Unionville | 1,827 |
68 | Osceola | 1,235 |
69 | Pierce City | 1,462 |
70 | New Franklin | 1,016 |
71 | Ironton | 1,602 |
72 | Wellsville | 1,149 |
73 | Windsor | 2,976 |
74 | Princeton | 1,211 |
75 | Slater | 2,103 |
76 | Adrian | 2,058 |
77 | Grant City | 1,010 |
78 | Hanley Hills | 1,853 |
79 | Seneca | 2,229 |
80 | Milan | 2,429 |
81 | Osage Beach | 4,923 |
82 | Country Club Hills | 1,232 |
83 | Butler | 4,125 |
84 | Thayer | 2,578 |
85 | Velda City | 1,421 |
86 | Portageville | 2,959 |
87 | Shelbina | 1,759 |
88 | Mount Vernon | 4,490 |
89 | Edmundson | 1,203 |
90 | Ava | 2,903 |
91 | Appleton City | 1,101 |
92 | Gallatin | 1,674 |
93 | Marceline | 2,012 |
94 | Moline Acres | 2,810 |
95 | Warsaw | 2,380 |
96 | Reeds Spring | 1,158 |
97 | Sarcoxie | 1,596 |
98 | Claycomo | 1,786 |
99 | Exeter | 1,023 |
100 | Bismarck | 1,731 |