#1Cottleville
St. Charles County · 6,717 people2.16 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.3, property 0.9
Cottleville, #1 on this list · Photo: Mitch Harden · CC BY-SA 2.0Missouri rankings · Safety
Safest towns in Missouri
Cottleville reports the least crime per resident of Missouri’s 172 towns with crime figures for 2023–2025; 15 of the 172 grade A− or better on safety nationally.
Crimes reported by each town’s own police, 2023–2025, per 1,000 residents, violent crimes counted four times. The same measure as the Safety grade. For 17 of them one year isn’t in the FBI’s published tables and comes from the FBI Crime Data Explorer or the state’s own reports (named in the row). How grades work
#1A+
#2Odessa
Lafayette County · 5,721 people4.42 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.3, property 3.2
#3Canton
Lewis County · 2,763 people5.85 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.1, property 5.4
All 172 towns
Weighted crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first, to two decimals (the sort uses the exact rate, so there are no rounding ties). Grade = the national Safety grade.
172 towns ranked. Not here? See towns without their own figures.
#TownWeighted rateViolentPropertyGrade
50BuffaloDallas County · 3,550 people · 2024 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer; 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer2.46.4B
69ChaffeeScott County · 3,017 people · 2023 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer; 2024 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer2.111.2B−
144Breckenridge HillsSt. Louis County · 4,350 people · 2024 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer; 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer8.819.0D
154CassvilleBarry County · 3,301 people · 2023 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer; 2024 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer3.849.5D
Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Last on the list: Berkeley, 136.76. The rate counts crimes reported to police, not how safe any one street feels.
Not ranked
75 towns without figures of their own
These towns of 2,500+ are not on the list because there are no police figures for them alone for all of 2023–2025, from the FBI or the state. In 2025 the FBI’s tables list State Police figures for 0 of Missouri’s counties and county sheriff figures for 98; those cover many towns at once and can’t be split by town, so they aren’t ranked here. Their other grades stand; the overall grade uses the rest.
- Affton St. Louis County · 19,052 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Aurora Lawrence County · 7,686 people: figures for 2023 only (all three years are needed).
- Barnhart Jefferson County · 5,785 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Black Jack St. Louis County · 6,547 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Bowling Green Pike County · 4,472 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Burdine Township Texas County · 3,327 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- California Moniteau County · 4,523 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Carrollton Carroll County · 3,499 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Castor Township Stoddard County · 4,651 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Center Township Vernon County · 9,550 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- City Township Barton County · 4,337 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Clarkson Valley St. Louis County · 2,540 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Clever Christian County · 3,143 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Concord St. Louis County · 18,368 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Cotton Hill Township Dunklin County · 4,700 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Country Club Andrew County · 2,512 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Cuba Crawford County · 3,288 people: figures for 2023 only (all three years are needed).
- Dardenne Prairie St. Charles County · 15,032 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Dellwood St. Louis County · 4,825 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Duck Creek Township Stoddard County · 3,016 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Fayette Howard County · 2,848 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Fenton St. Louis County · 4,060 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Fort Leonard Wood Pulaski County · 15,432 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Glasgow Village St. Louis County · 5,504 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Glendale St. Louis County · 6,060 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Grand River Township DeKalb County · 3,258 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Gray Summit Franklin County · 2,991 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Green Park St. Louis County · 2,670 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- High Ridge Jefferson County · 3,714 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Hollister Taney County · 4,690 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Holts Summit Callaway County · 4,773 people: figures for 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Imperial Jefferson County · 5,488 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Independence Township Dunklin County · 11,792 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Jennings St. Louis County · 13,093 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Lemay St. Louis County · 16,228 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Liberty Township Stoddard County · 14,741 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Malden Dunklin County · 3,493 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Marceline Township Linn County · 2,589 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Mehlville St. Louis County · 29,805 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Mexico Audrain County · 11,558 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Moberly Randolph County · 13,719 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Monroe City Monroe County · 2,714 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Montgomery City Montgomery County · 2,782 people: figures for 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Mount Pleasant Township Bates County · 5,093 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Murphy Jefferson County · 8,285 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Northwoods St. Louis County · 3,579 people: figures for 2023 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Oakville St. Louis County · 35,333 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Old Jamestown St. Louis County · 20,651 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Palmyra Marion County · 3,649 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Park Hills St. Francois County · 8,753 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Parkville Platte County · 9,093 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Pike Township Stoddard County · 3,577 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Pine Lawn St. Louis County · 2,682 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Piney Township Texas County · 5,071 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Polk Township Nodaway County · 13,673 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Poplar Bluff Butler County · 16,295 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Sappington St. Louis County · 7,367 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Savannah Andrew County · 5,107 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Sherrill Township Texas County · 5,574 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Spanish Lake St. Louis County · 17,873 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- St. Paul St. Charles County · 3,849 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- St. Robert Pulaski County · 5,602 people: figures for 2023 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Ste. Genevieve Ste. Genevieve County · 5,065 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Terre du Lac St. Francois County · 2,516 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Tipton Moniteau County · 2,766 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Union Township Dunklin County · 3,242 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Valley Park St. Louis County · 6,767 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Vandalia Audrain County · 3,029 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Villa Ridge Franklin County · 2,835 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Weldon Spring St. Charles County · 5,301 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Whiteman AFB Johnson County · 3,517 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Wildwood St. Louis County · 34,955 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Windsor Henry County · 2,869 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Windsor Township Henry County · 3,454 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Wright City Warren County · 5,854 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which is the safest town in Missouri?
Cottleville (St. Charles County) reports the least crime per resident: 2.16 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year over 2023–2025 (0.32 violent and 0.86 property crimes per 1,000), from its police department’s reports (2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer). Odessa (4.42) and Canton (5.85) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By crimes reported by each town’s police per 1,000 residents over three years (FBI figures, or the state’s own where the FBI table lacks a year), with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. It is the same measure as the Safety grade on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list needs 2,500+ residents and the town’s own police figures for all three years. 75 Missouri towns of 2,500+ lack them; they are listed above with the reason. Smaller towns have a Safety grade on their page but no rank.
Go deeper
All Missouri rankings →More Missouri lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live247 towns · #1 GlendaleBest small towns155 towns · #1 GlendaleMost affordable towns247 towns · #1 Marceline TownshipTowns with the best schools247 towns · #1 BrentwoodHealthiest towns247 towns · #1 Glendale and LadueBest towns for jobs & income247 towns · #1 Des Peres and GlendaleMost walkable towns247 towns · #1 ClaytonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk247 towns · #1 Whiteman AFBBest towns for the outdoors247 towns · #1 Whiteman AFBMost historic towns247 towns · #1 St. LouisTowns with the most civic life229 towns · #1 ChillicotheTowns with the least snow246 towns · #1 SalemDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns246 towns · #1 BethanyDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters236 towns · #1 CaruthersvilleDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers236 towns · #1 Anderson and Carl JunctionDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers236 towns · #1 Union TownshipDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes247 towns · #1 LadueDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes242 towns · #1 Mountain GroveDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns227 towns · #1 RogersvilleDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries50 towns · #1 Richmond HeightsDescribed, no letters
Other states