Living in Joplin, MO
Small city in Missouri
Joplin is a small city in Missouri, home to about 52,000 people, with 188,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Joplin a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $206k and rents for $1,240 a month
- Low taxes: about $1,262 state income tax per resident, 0.72% property tax
- Strong healthcare: 2 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 12 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 188,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Fewer graduates: 26% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Joplin ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Joplin: common questions
What is the cost of living in Joplin?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $206k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,240 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 86, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Joplin?
Missouri collects about $1,262 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.72% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Joplin safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.6× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Joplin?
Joplin has cool winters: winter days average around 48°F and summer days around 89°F, with roughly 8″ of snow a year.
Does Joplin get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.18 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Joplin?
The nearest major airport is TUL, about 97 mi away.
How Joplin scores
Each bar compares Joplin with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Joplin right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.