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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Missouri where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Des Peres, MO
- Glendale, MO
- Ladue, MO
- Webster Groves, MO
- Dardenne Prairie, MO
- Olivette, MO
- Eureka, MO
- Wildwood, MO
- Wentzville, MO
- O’fallon, MO
These are the happiest places in Missouri. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Missouri?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 139 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Des Peres
Population: 8,567
Earners Over $75k: 76.4%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 41.0%
Des Peres is the happiest city in all of Missouri. What makes Des Peres residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Des Peres resident only drives 21.2 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Des Peres residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Glendale
Population: 5,888
Earners Over $75k: 75.8%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 37.0%
In 2nd place we have Glendale. Residents of Glendale are highly educated, with an impressive 77.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Glendale have plenty of them.
3. Ladue
Population: 8,586
Earners Over $75k: 80.6%
Average Commute: 17
Marriage Rate: 37.0%
Ladue is the third happiest city in Missouri. Why so happy? 37.0% of Ladue residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Webster Groves
Population: 23,029
Earners Over $75k: 62.9%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 34.0%
Folks in Webster Groves have a lot to smile about. An impressive 62.9% of Webster Groves households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Webster Groves can afford peace of mind.
5. Dardenne Prairie
Population: 13,139
Earners Over $75k: 77.0%
Average Commute: 27
Marriage Rate: 35.0%
Dardenne Prairie is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Dardenne Prairie residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Missouri city is only $283,400), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Olivette
Population: 7,837
Earners Over $75k: 52.4%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Olivette a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 52.4% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Olivette home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Eureka
Population: 10,575
Earners Over $75k: 65.5%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 38.0%
Eureka is the 7th happiest city. Eureka residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 30.0 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Wildwood
Population: 35,517
Earners Over $75k: 75.0%
Average Commute: 29
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
Wildwood residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Wentzville
Population: 37,485
Earners Over $75k: 60.0%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 39.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Missouri is Wentzville. The average commute in Wentzville is only 28.3 minutes. That means they are only 28.3 minutes away from the loving spouse 39.0% of them have.
10. O’fallon
Population: 86,340
Earners Over $75k: 57.8%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 35.0%
In 10th place is O’Fallon, Missouri. What makes O’Fallon so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Missouri
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Peres | 76.4% |
| 2 | Glendale | 75.8% |
| 3 | Ladue | 80.6% |
| 4 | Webster Groves | 62.9% |
| 5 | Dardenne Prairie | 77.0% |
| 6 | Olivette | 52.4% |
| 7 | Eureka | 65.5% |
| 8 | Wildwood | 75.0% |
| 9 | Wentzville | 60.0% |
| 10 | O’fallon | 57.8% |
| 11 | Sunset Hills | 59.6% |
| 12 | Town And Country | 77.8% |
| 13 | Kirkwood | 56.4% |
| 14 | Lee’s Summit | 57.1% |
| 15 | Battlefield | 40.4% |
| 16 | Chesterfield | 63.4% |
| 17 | Ballwin | 58.1% |
| 18 | Crestwood | 50.9% |
| 19 | Greenwood | 64.4% |
| 20 | Parkville | 67.6% |
| 21 | Jackson | 34.5% |
| 22 | Weldon Spring | 65.6% |
| 23 | Carl Junction | 42.1% |
| 24 | Washington | 38.7% |
| 25 | Kearney | 52.2% |
| 26 | Pleasant Hill | 45.3% |
| 27 | Clayton | 60.4% |
| 28 | St. Peters | 51.6% |
| 29 | Raymore | 53.8% |
| 30 | Lake St. Louis | 57.4% |
| 31 | Concord | 49.0% |
| 32 | Oakville | 53.1% |
| 33 | Barnhart | 57.7% |
| 34 | Creve Coeur | 61.2% |
| 35 | Liberty | 47.1% |
| 36 | Blue Springs | 47.8% |
| 37 | Richmond Heights | 51.8% |
| 38 | Grain Valley | 46.0% |
| 39 | Smithville | 53.3% |
| 40 | Ellisville | 50.0% |
| 41 | Sappington | 43.2% |
| 42 | Manchester | 53.1% |
| 43 | Republic | 31.5% |
| 44 | Brentwood | 52.4% |
| 45 | Willard | 35.6% |
| 46 | Valley Park | 38.2% |
| 47 | Perryville | 26.3% |
| 48 | Peculiar | 36.0% |
| 49 | Bridgeton | 39.5% |
| 50 | Ozark | 30.5% |
| 51 | Jefferson City | 30.7% |
| 52 | St. Charles | 42.7% |
| 53 | Shrewsbury | 39.3% |
| 54 | Old Jamestown | 58.7% |
| 55 | Columbia | 34.1% |
| 56 | University City | 42.2% |
| 57 | Maryland Heights | 40.3% |
| 58 | Sikeston | 23.3% |
| 59 | Nixa | 33.6% |
| 60 | Oak Grove | 38.5% |
| 61 | Union | 25.4% |
| 62 | Arnold | 39.1% |
| 63 | Odessa | 30.9% |
| 64 | Farmington | 25.9% |
| 65 | Affton | 38.5% |
| 66 | St. Robert | 25.8% |
| 67 | Pevely | 31.9% |
| 68 | Warrensburg | 24.7% |
| 69 | Trenton | 24.6% |
| 70 | Monett | 23.3% |
| 71 | Excelsior Springs | 29.6% |
| 72 | Savannah | 26.7% |
| 73 | Cape Girardeau | 28.1% |
| 74 | Festus | 35.1% |
| 75 | Maplewood | 28.1% |
| 76 | Hannibal | 20.8% |
| 77 | Belton | 38.1% |
| 78 | St. Joseph | 26.9% |
| 79 | Waynesville | 27.4% |
| 80 | Troy | 29.6% |
| 81 | Florissant | 32.6% |
| 82 | Mehlville | 34.0% |
| 83 | Kansas City | 33.8% |
| 84 | Webb City | 24.3% |
| 85 | Maryville | 21.6% |
| 86 | Marshall | 20.1% |
| 87 | Harrisonville | 26.0% |
| 88 | Joplin | 25.7% |
| 89 | Marshfield | 19.7% |
| 90 | Clinton | 19.7% |
| 91 | Black Jack | 36.9% |
| 92 | Rolla | 19.1% |
| 93 | Carthage | 19.7% |
| 94 | Gladstone | 35.0% |
| 95 | Hazelwood | 33.2% |
| 96 | Macon | 17.3% |
| 97 | Warrenton | 18.6% |
| 98 | Fulton | 23.1% |
| 99 | Bolivar | 15.5% |
| 100 | Neosho | 19.1% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
