Missouri’s 2 Poorest Towns Are Maybe Not Where You’d Think

It's been said that you can't buy happiness. That may be true, but the lack of money can create problems if not unhappiness. There are two towns/cities in Missouri that have been ranked as the poorest and they may not be where you'd think.

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This was something I just became curious about which led me on a search to determine what town or city is the poorest in Missouri. The answer is complicated and depends on a number of factors.

One of the first surveys I found comes courtesy of 24/7 Wall St. According to their data, the poorest town in Missouri is Versailles. The statistics about the financial state of those that live in that small town is staggering. Median income is only $22,786 annually with a poverty level of nearly 30%. That's nearly triple the Missouri state average.

Instead of just settling with that one conclusion, I decided to dig deeper. What if you limit the cities to population of at least 25,000? That changes the picture entirely. According to the American Community Survey based on US Census data, that means Springfield is the poorest city in Missouri. The median income for Springfield is $37,491 which isn't much in a city that size.

I wish there was less emphasis on money being the determining factor for happiness. Let's be real though. The financial situation of residents does play a big part of what their quality of life is like. For both Versailles and Springfield, the picture isn't pretty, but let me say once again that money can't buy happiness. Lots of good folks in both places who are doing the best they can with what they have.