Which metro areas in Missouri are people moving to?
Springfield, MO (6.9 per 1,000 residents), Joplin, MO-KS (5.9 per 1,000 residents) and Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (4.9 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Missouri metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 8 ranked Missouri metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield, MO | 6.9 | +3,466 | 500,694 |
| 2 | Joplin, MO-KS | 5.9 | +1,237 | 208,796 |
| 3 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 4.9 | +484 | 99,215 |
| 4 | Jefferson City, MO | 2.9 | +449 | 152,712 |
| 5 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 2.3 | +5,170 | 2,270,682 |
| 6 | St. Louis, MO-IL | −0.5 | −1,382 | 2,814,421 |
| 7 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | −1.4 | −165 | 119,170 |
| 8 | Columbia, MO | −1.8 | −389 | 219,062 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Missouri gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Springfield, MO: 6.9 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Joplin, MO-KS (5.9 per 1,000 residents) and Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (4.9 per 1,000 residents), of 8 Missouri metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.