Webb City — One of the best places for Missouri retirees
WEBB CITY, Mo. — “I would say the combination of good schools, good church climate, good business climate, and healthy neighborhoods — all working together — make it that way,” says Webb City Mayor Lynn Ragsdale — who claims the Southwest Missouri town of 13,000 is the ideal place for those of all ages.
For retired couples living on nothing but their Social Security benefits, Missouri’s low cost of living makes it a state to consider when looking for a place to settle down later in life.
According to the most recent data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, living in the “Show-Me State” costs about 10% less than the national average. Housing comes in 20% lower, groceries 7% lower, and utilities 6% lower.
In order to find Missouri’s best cities for a retired couple on a Social Security-only budget, GOBankingRates has compiled a top-10 list. This “best of the best” list was developed by analyzing data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, AreaVibes, Sperling’s Best Places, and Zillow. GoBankingRates also used data from the Social Security Administration for the average monthly benefit for a couple — which they’ve figured to be just over $3,800.
Their 10 best places in Missouri for a couple to live on only a Social Security check, looks like this:
RANKING | CITY | AVERAGE RENT | AVERAGE TOTAL MONTHLY | LIVABILITY SCORE |
10. | Knob Noster | $970 | $2,344 | 73 |
9. | Branson | $1,222 | $2,600 | 75 |
8. | Kirkwood | $1,499 | $2,970 | 79 |
7. | Creve Coeur | $1,435 | $2,918 | 80 |
6. | Webb City | $897 | $2,297 | 76 |
5. | Ballwin | $1,824 | $3,311 | 84 |
4. | Richmond Heights | $1,557 | $3,008 | 83 |
3. | Brentwood | $1,650 | $3,092 | 85 |
2. | Jefferson City | $940 | $2,464 | 82 |
1. | Maplewood | $1,039 | $2,486 | 86 |
#6 — Webb City
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GOBankingRates, a leading personal finance site, choose Webb City for the number six spot on their list of the best Missouri cities for a retired couple to live on a Social Security-only budget. According to the website, “Living in Webb City is cheap — it has the lowest average monthly rent and cost of living in our list. A retired couple living on just Social Security could cover basic expenses and still have about $1,500 left over each month.”
Mayor Ragsdale says the figures used to rank the top Missouri cities — is fairly accurate.
“Our folks would say Webb City should be number one. We are the best place for people to live. But all kidding aside, I think their cost of living index is very accurate. As for rent, those rates are going up drastically all across the state, but I’d say those numbers are pretty close to reality. In Webb City, much of our rental property is new property, so I think that’s appealing to retirees,” said Ragsdale.
During the most recent census of 2020, Ragsdale says Webb City as a whole grew between 15% and 20%, with every demographic seeing growth. According to Ragsdale, that steady growth benefits all those who call Webb City, ‘home.’
“One of the fastest growing age demographics was the empty nester, or the retired family. Those moving in from elsewhere and buying a home of 2,000 or so square foot — giving a couple a taste of something nice sized, and maybe even bigger than what they were able to afford before,” Ragsdale said.
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GOBankingRates does list some possible downsides to living in a largely rural state, like Missouri. “Missouri’s healthcare and public transportation options are lacking in some areas. High crime rates may also be an issue,” states the article. Ragsdale, on the other hand, says when it comes to living in Webb City, those “possible downsides” the article mentions are nearly non-existent.
“We have the resources for good fire, good police, our police department is fully staffed, and so is our fire department, and the crime is very low. We have two really good hospitals, literally within 10 minutes of our town. For those who still want to get out and about, Branson is a short hour and a half away. It’s all that and more that makes Webb City living very nice and pleasant, especially for a retired couple,” said Ragsdale.
Speaking of Branson, the entertainment capital of the Missouri Ozarks comes in at number nine of the top ten ranked cities in the “Show-Me State” for Social Security-only affordability. According to the website, “Branson has for many years been an entertainment center and popular tourist destination. Located about 45 miles south of Springfield in the Ozarks, Branson offers attractions such as the 76 Country Boulevard entertainment district, Silver Dollar City, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, the Titanic Museum and fishing on local lakes. The city’s full-time population has doubled this century and now stands at nearly 13,000.
