Two things often spring to mind when people think of Missouri: The amazing Branson entertainment mecca and the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As the starting point for the Oregon and California trails, the state played a key role in America’s expansion west and, more recently, has earned a reputation for its barbecue and thriving music and arts scene.
The Show Me State is home to just over 6 million people, making it the 18th most populous state. The largest city, Kansas City, is surrounded by welcoming suburbs. Additionally, there are homebuyer programs to support first-time and repeat buyers. Many residents are employed in the thriving aerospace industry, as well as in banking and technology. While Missouri’s highest crime rates are concentrated near large cities, 10 smaller cities have been recognized as the safest in the state.
Let’s take a look at why these 10 cities have been named as Missouri’s safest.
The Top 10 Safest Communities in Missouri
1. Battlefield
- Population: 6,104
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 16.1
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 530.7
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
78% Below National Crime Rate
The safest city in Missouri is an affordable town at the foot of the Ozark Mountains; the median home price is $170,000. Homes have appreciated 6 percent in the past decade and the average residence is 12 years old. If pursuing academics is your ambition, Battlefield schools have an “A” rating, and Missouri State is a hop, skip and a jump away in Springfield, the state’s third largest city.
Find your new home in Battlefield, Missouri today!
2. Ballwin
- Population: 30,322
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 29.8
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 679.9
- Most Common Crime: Property
78% Below National Crime Rate
A quiet suburb of St. Louis, Ballwin offers plenty of restaurants, parks and shops for residents to enjoy, while only minutes away from city amenities. You’ll also find a large selection of welcoming neighborhoods in Ballwin, where most residents are homeowners. The median home price is $238,400, and residents are happy that their city has earned an 88/100 livability score. Here are two other figures to consider: The cost of living is 4 percent higher but the high school graduation rates are a hearty 95 percent.
Check out new homes in Ballwin.
3. Glendale
- Population: 5,888
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 51.0
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 476.1
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
78% Below National Crime Rate
You will sleep peacefully in this small town as crime has been rapidly decreasing. Another suburb of St. Louis, Glendale now stands at about one-half of the national average: 19 percent. It’s an affluent community with a median home price of $345,400. The town also sees 99 percent of high school students graduate. It’s a tight-knit community where locals welcome one and all. Glendale sits comfortably between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
Search for your new home in Glendale.
4. Town and Country
- Population: 11,066
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 17.9
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 995.2
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
78% Below National Crime Rate
Town and Country is a ritzy area for sure, as the median home value is almost a whopping $700,000, with some homes hitting above the $5 million mark. Locals give the city five stars on amenities such as feeling safe and secure, and having a broad range of delicious dining options. You’ll have many job opportunities with St. Louis being a fast 20-minute commute.
One of the best places to retire in Missouri, check out new homes in Town and Country!
5. Cottleville
- Population: 4,882
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 88.2
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 264.6
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
78% Below National Crime Rate
A home in Cottleville, one of the oldest communities in St. Charles County, will run you more than $240,000, but local parents are happy to oblige because of the town’s “A” rated schools. The high school graduation rate is nearly perfect and student test scores are almost 50 percent higher than the national average.
Your new home is waiting in Cottleville.
6. Pleasant Hill
- Population: 8,418
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 161.7
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 894.8
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
81% Above National Crime Rate
Located near the Kansas-Missouri border, this little town is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Many residents work in Kansas City, which straddles both states. The median home price is $194,400, and there are plenty of new homes from which to choose. On the cost-of-living scale, Pleasant Hill registers 93 out of 100, so it is on the expensive side.
Find a new home in Pleasant Hill today.
7. Ladue
- Population: 8,586
- Violent Crimes Per Capita:58.0
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 997.1
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
47% Below National Crime Rate
Just a 20-minute drive from St. Louis, Ladue is a family-friendly suburb loaded with activities. This is a wealthy community, and the median home price tag is steep: $798,500. Many of these luxurious homes are within gated communities, which helps keep crime down. In the past 12 months, home values have appreciated 3.2 percent. Ladue’s unemployment rate is 3.1.
Communities in Ladue are waiting to welcome you home.
8. Ellisville
- Population: 9,581
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 101.6
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 873.8
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
56% Below National Crime Rate
Ellisville is a dense suburb west of St. Louis, where the median home price is $271,600. In the past year, home prices have increased in value 4.6 percent. New home construction is keeping builders busy, which, in turn, is keeping prospective home buyers on the search for their dream home. Parents can be confident in the town’s superb school system, as the student/teacher ratio is 15:1.
Your new home is waiting in Ellisville.
9. Bonne Terre
- Population: 7,110
- Violent Crimes Per Capita:109.5
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 301.2
- Most Common Crime: Property
71% Below National Crime Rate
Bonne Terre is French for beautiful or good earth. It’s a hidden gem south of St. Louis near Mark Twain National Forest, and if you blink, you may drive right past it. Consider Bonne Terre a place where apple pie is still served after dinner each Sunday. Crime levels are 77 percent lower than anywhere else in the state, and the median home price is just shy of $80,000.
10. Webster Groves
- Population: 23,029
- Violent Crimes Per Capita: 109.3
- Nonviolent Crimes Per Capita: 507.1
- Most Common Crime: Property and Larceny
68% Below National Crime Rate
Webster Groves has received Homesnack’s top award as best place in Missouri to raise a family. It’s a high wage-earning population, and this is reflected in the median price for a home: $265,200. Home values in this St. Louis suburb are 77 percent higher than others in the state. Another score to remember is the high school graduation rate — 97 percent, which is 17 percent higher than the national average.
View new homes in Webster Groves today.
All data are taken from FBI U.S. crime statistics.
Other Missouri Resources
Heather Allen is a freelance writer who began her career 20 years ago at a small Texas NBC affiliate, while attending SFASU. She’s written blogs on a diverse range of topics.
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