Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in Missouri.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in Missouri.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In Missouri
- Kirkwood
- Creve Coeur
- Chesterfield
- Grain Valley
- Manchester
- Webster Groves
- St. Charles
- Lee’s Summit
- Dardenne Prairie
- Wentzville
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Missouri. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in Missouri
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main Missouri metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in Missouri.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-75 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Kearney area had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.6%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 75 metro areas from 1-to-75. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Kirkwood
Unemployment Rate: 2.51%
Average Income: $119,750
2. Creve Coeur
Unemployment Rate: 2.38%
Average Income: $169,310
3. Chesterfield
Unemployment Rate: 2.19%
Average Income: $144,259
4. Grain Valley
Unemployment Rate: 3.05%
Average Income: $78,834
5. Manchester
Unemployment Rate: 4.29%
Average Income: $103,569
6. Webster Groves
Unemployment Rate: 3.97%
Average Income: $125,890
7. St. Charles
Unemployment Rate: 3.19%
Average Income: $83,072
8. Lee’s Summit
Unemployment Rate: 3.26%
Average Income: $103,841
9. Dardenne Prairie
Unemployment Rate: 2.25%
Average Income: $146,000
10. Wentzville
Unemployment Rate: 3.39%
Average Income: $95,068
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In Missouri
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Kearney and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Kearney and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Missouri, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Kearney will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In Missouri
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkwood | 2.51% |
| 2 | Creve Coeur | 2.38% |
| 3 | Chesterfield | 2.19% |
| 4 | Grain Valley | 3.05% |
| 5 | Manchester | 4.29% |
| 6 | Webster Groves | 3.97% |
| 7 | St. Charles | 3.19% |
| 8 | Lee’s Summit | 3.26% |
| 9 | Dardenne Prairie | 2.25% |
| 10 | Wentzville | 3.39% |
| 11 | O’fallon | 3.15% |
| 12 | Wildwood | 2.78% |
| 13 | Ballwin | 3.48% |
| 14 | Clayton | 3.19% |
| 15 | Brentwood | 1.6% |
| 16 | St. Peters | 4.0% |
| 17 | Crestwood | 3.22% |
| 18 | Farmington | 4.32% |
| 19 | Kearney | 1.58% |
| 20 | Lake St. Louis | 3.3% |
| 21 | University | 5.41% |
| 22 | Liberty | 2.58% |
| 23 | Raymore | 2.54% |
| 24 | Washington | 2.3% |
| 25 | Union | 2.76% |
| 26 | Maryland Heights | 5.05% |
| 27 | Bridgeton | 7.47% |
| 28 | Carthage | 7.94% |
| 29 | Blue Springs | 3.21% |
| 30 | Bellefontaine Neighbors | 8.0% |
| 31 | Joplin | 5.36% |
| 32 | West Plains | 1.66% |
| 33 | Richmond Heights | 3.6% |
| 34 | Maplewood | 2.61% |
| 35 | Troy | 3.1% |
| 36 | St. Louis | 8.29% |
| 37 | Nixa | 4.99% |
| 38 | Hazelwood | 6.58% |
| 39 | Cape Girardeau | 5.27% |
| 40 | Excelsior Springs | 4.83% |
| 41 | Raytown | 4.83% |
| 42 | Overland | 4.81% |
| 43 | Maryville | 4.58% |
| 44 | Kansas | 5.37% |
| 45 | Florissant | 8.08% |
| 46 | Rolla | 5.36% |
| 47 | Festus | 8.8% |
| 48 | Marshall | 3.05% |
| 49 | Jefferson | 4.01% |
| 50 | Sedalia | 8.74% |
| 51 | Lebanon | 6.65% |
| 52 | Ferguson | 10.32% |
| 53 | Grandview | 5.27% |
| 54 | Warrensburg | 5.16% |
| 55 | Columbia | 4.11% |
| 56 | Gladstone | 5.96% |
| 57 | Independence | 5.38% |
| 58 | Arnold | 4.86% |
| 59 | Neosho | 3.27% |
| 60 | Ozark | 4.83% |
| 61 | Jennings | 10.52% |
| 62 | St. Joseph | 5.23% |
| 63 | Belton | 3.79% |
| 64 | Webb | 5.86% |
| 65 | Jackson | 7.24% |
| 66 | Sikeston | 6.91% |
| 67 | Moberly | 5.39% |
| 68 | Republic | 4.94% |
| 69 | Hannibal | 7.12% |
| 70 | Branson | 6.57% |
| 71 | Kirksville | 7.99% |
| 72 | St. Ann | 7.6% |
| 73 | Poplar Bluff | 8.84% |
| 74 | Bolivar | 3.54% |
| 75 | Springfield | 5.65% |
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.
