← How Olean ranks
Missouri rankings · Libraries Towns that borrow the most from their library in Missouri Ranked by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. 50 towns with 2,500+ residents.
Olean Not on this list Olean has fewer than 2,500 residents, the floor for MO lists.
All 50 towns Loans per resident, highest first.
# Town Loans per resident Library Loans a year
1
North Kansas City 4,983 people 30.2 per resident North Kansas City Public Library 134,720
2
Kirkwood 29,363 people 19.7 per resident Kirkwood Public Library 581,095
3
Brentwood 8,144 people 15.9 per resident Brentwood Public Library 130,722
4
Richmond Heights 9,153 people 13.1 per resident Richmond Heights Memorial Library 121,454
5
Maplewood 8,156 people 11.1 per resident Maplewood Public Library 91,489
6
Webster Groves 23,712 people 11.0 per resident Webster Groves Public Library 265,002
7
Centralia 4,690 people 10.7 per resident Centralia Public Library 43,469
8
Mountain View 2,658 people 10.6 per resident Mountain View Public Library 26,747
9
Rolla 20,287 people 9.9 per resident Rolla Public Library 198,347
10
Poplar Bluff 16,254 people 9.6 per resident Poplar Bluff Municipal Library District 156,148
11
Carrollton 3,145 people 9.3 per resident Carrollton Public Library 32,797
12
West Plains 12,441 people 8.8 per resident West Plains Public Library 107,338
13
St. Louis 288,512 people 8.6 per resident City of St. Louis Municipal Library District 2,606,097
14
Joplin 52,593 people 8.6 per resident Joplin Public Library 417,700
15
Montgomery City 2,801 people 8.4 per resident Montgomery City Public Library 23,485
16
Salem 4,677 people 7.8 per resident Salem Public Library 35,718
17
University City 34,685 people 7.7 per resident University City Public Library 271,015
18
Macon 5,466 people 7.6 per resident Macon Public Library 41,646
19
Nevada 7,925 people 7.0 per resident Nevada Public Library 57,608
20
Rock Hill 4,693 people 6.6 per resident Rock Hill Public Library 31,287
21
Maryville 10,428 people 6.5 per resident Maryville Public Library 69,259
22
Festus 13,201 people 6.4 per resident Festus Public Library 80,903
23
Farmington 18,282 people 6.0 per resident Farmington Public Library 109,384
24
De Soto 6,470 people 6.0 per resident De Soto Public Library 38,532
25
Tipton 2,667 people 5.7 per resident Price James Memorial Library 16,527
26
Cape Girardeau 40,344 people 5.6 per resident Municipal Library District of the City of Cape Girardeau 202,826
27
Caruthersville 5,326 people 5.4 per resident Caruthersville Public Library 30,267
28
Dexter 7,891 people 5.2 per resident Keller Public Library of Dexter 40,883
29
Brookfield 4,144 people 4.9 per resident Brookfield Public Library 20,053
30
Bethany 3,080 people 4.9 per resident Bethany Public Library 14,375
31
Carthage 15,574 people 4.5 per resident Carthage Public Library 70,391
32
Cameron 8,519 people 4.4 per resident Cameron Public Library 37,263
33
Hannibal 16,771 people 4.3 per resident Hannibal Free Public Library 73,483
34
Canton 2,752 people 4.3 per resident Canton Public Library 11,777
35
St. James 3,916 people 4.2 per resident James Memorial Library 16,457
36
Monroe City 3,028 people 4.2 per resident Monroe City Public Library 10,502
37
Webb City 13,221 people 3.8 per resident Webb City Public Library 49,411
38
St. Joseph 71,236 people 3.6 per resident Saint Joseph Public Library 222,594
39
Bowling Green 4,170 people 3.5 per resident Bowling Green Public Library 14,583
40
Higginsville 4,781 people 3.4 per resident Robertson Memorial Library 14,339
41
Chaffee 3,026 people 3.3 per resident Chaffee Public Library 10,000
42
Sedalia 22,003 people 2.9 per resident Sedalia Public Library 58,210
43
Bonne Terre 6,683 people 2.6 per resident Bonne Terre Memorial Library 18,209
44
Park Hills 8,678 people 2.5 per resident Park Hills Public Library 21,067
45
Ferguson 18,213 people 2.3 per resident Ferguson Municipal Public Library District 42,870
46
Sikeston 16,320 people 2.3 per resident Sikeston Public Library 33,264
47
Marshall 13,739 people 2.1 per resident Marshall Public Library 29,605
48
Crystal City 4,718 people 2.0 per resident Crystal City Public Library 9,415
49
Desloge 4,863 people 1.6 per resident Desloge Public Library 7,645
50
Louisiana 3,228 people 1.3 per resident Louisiana Public Library 4,068
We rank every town by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.
A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.
Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey . Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.
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