Menu Close

Multiple Missouri Cities Named Among Most Livable in U.S.

  • April 08, 2021

Three Missouri cities have been named among the most livable small cities in the U.S. in 2021 by SmartAsset. O’Fallon, St. Charles, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri, all made the annual list.

O’Fallon topped the list as the “Most Livable Small City in the United States.” It compared nearly 300 cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000. O’Fallon landed at the top of the list primarily due to its low income inequality, its low proportion of residents living below the poverty line, low median housing costs, and its close proximity to jobs and entertainment throughout the St. Louis Metro Area.

“To be listed as America’s ‘most livable’ city is such an honor, and I am truly grateful to our residents, businesses, police and first responders, educators, faith leaders, and elected officials who all play such a key part in making O’Fallon such a great place to live, work and play,” said O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy. “Together, we have built our city into a safe, affordable area where neighbors look out for each other and our residents take great pride in their community. It’s wonderful to see our City and our region recognized by SmartAsset.”

St. Charles ranked 7th on the list. The city was highlighted for its low median housing costs, concentration of healthcare establishments, and low unemployment rate.

Lee’s Summit came in at number 12 on the list.

“Of course, we know that Lee’s Summit is a great place to live, but having that confirmed by an independent analysis makes us even more proud of our community,” said Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council President & CEO Rick McDowell. “During a time when many people are spending more time at home, we understand how important it is to grow communities that not only have great amenities and leisure offerings, but also opportunities for its residents.”

To create the rankings, SmartAsset compared a series of factors among communities. Factors included the concentration of entertainment establishments, restaurants, bars and healthcare establishments, income inequality, home affordability, housing costs as a percentage of median income, percentage of residents below the poverty line, unemployment rate percentage of residents without health insurance and average commute time.

Check out the full report here.

What Next?