Three Missouri cities were ranked among the “best hometowns” in the country

MISSOURI – There’s no place like home, and new research suggests the old saying actually applies to three Missouri cities.

All Star Home, a home improvement website, was recently launched a study titled “America’s Best Hometowns.” The study aims to highlight smaller and lesser-known U.S. cities that offer a strong sense of community, affordability and “small-town charm.” Safety and education were also important factors.

According to All Star Home, the following three Missouri cities were named the best hometowns in the country:

One common denominator in these three cities: All three are located in the northern part of Missouri. Hannibal and Kirksville each have around 17,000 residents. St. Joseph has around 72,000 residents and is one of the ten largest cities in Missouri.

All Star Home gave each qualifying city a community rating. The research team considered diversity by state, nearby farmers markets, historic buildings and the average winning percentage of the area’s high school football teams. The community score was a significant factor in the overall score.

Hannibal, the longtime home of famed author Mark Twain, landed in the top 10 overall for Best Hometown. Hannibal was also recognized for its friendly home costs (around $138,000 per home), ranking sixth best with an overall score of 62 (out of 100).

Kirksville was ranked the fourth best U.S. city for student-teacher ratio, with an average of about 12 students per teacher. St. Joseph ranked in the top five hometowns for historic buildings (57) and community farmers markets (21).

And not far from Hannibal, just over the Missouri state line, Quincy, Illinois, also landed in the top 15 overall points in the Best Hometown rankings.

All Star Home reports that information from the following sources was used to conduct the study and determine the rankings:

• FBI Crime Data Explorer
• Zillow Home Values
• National Center for Education Statistics
• US Census Bureau
• National Park Service
• United States Department of Agriculture