MOMissouri rankings

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.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Missouri · Most library borrowing

Where Tipton lands: #25 of 50

5.7 per resident books, movies & e-books borrowed a year · Visit Tipton →

1 North Kansas City 30.2 per resident North Kansas City Public Library

2 Kirkwood 19.7 per resident Kirkwood Public Library

3 Brentwood 15.9 per resident Brentwood Public Library

#TownLoans per residentLibraryLoans a year

1 North Kansas City4,983 people 30.2 per resident North Kansas City Public Library 134,720

Kirkwood29,363 people 19.7 per resident Kirkwood Public Library 581,095

Brentwood8,144 people 15.9 per resident Brentwood Public Library 130,722

Richmond Heights9,153 people 13.1 per resident Richmond Heights Memorial Library 121,454

Maplewood8,156 people 11.1 per resident Maplewood Public Library 91,489

Webster Groves23,712 people 11.0 per resident Webster Groves Public Library 265,002

Centralia4,690 people 10.7 per resident Centralia Public Library 43,469

Mountain View2,658 people 10.6 per resident Mountain View Public Library 26,747

Rolla20,287 people 9.9 per resident Rolla Public Library 198,347

Poplar Bluff16,254 people 9.6 per resident Poplar Bluff Municipal Library District 156,148

Carrollton3,145 people 9.3 per resident Carrollton Public Library 32,797

West Plains12,441 people 8.8 per resident West Plains Public Library 107,338

St. Louis288,512 people 8.6 per resident City of St. Louis Municipal Library District 2,606,097

Joplin52,593 people 8.6 per resident Joplin Public Library 417,700

Montgomery City2,801 people 8.4 per resident Montgomery City Public Library 23,485

Salem4,677 people 7.8 per resident Salem Public Library 35,718

University City34,685 people 7.7 per resident University City Public Library 271,015

Macon5,466 people 7.6 per resident Macon Public Library 41,646

Nevada7,925 people 7.0 per resident Nevada Public Library 57,608

Rock Hill4,693 people 6.6 per resident Rock Hill Public Library 31,287

Maryville10,428 people 6.5 per resident Maryville Public Library 69,259

Festus13,201 people 6.4 per resident Festus Public Library 80,903

Farmington18,282 people 6.0 per resident Farmington Public Library 109,384

De Soto6,470 people 6.0 per resident De Soto Public Library 38,532

Tipton2,667 people 5.7 per resident Price James Memorial Library 16,527

Cape Girardeau40,344 people 5.6 per resident Municipal Library District of the City of Cape Girardeau 202,826

Caruthersville5,326 people 5.4 per resident Caruthersville Public Library 30,267

Dexter7,891 people 5.2 per resident Keller Public Library of Dexter 40,883

Brookfield4,144 people 4.9 per resident Brookfield Public Library 20,053

Bethany3,080 people 4.9 per resident Bethany Public Library 14,375

Carthage15,574 people 4.5 per resident Carthage Public Library 70,391

Cameron8,519 people 4.4 per resident Cameron Public Library 37,263

Hannibal16,771 people 4.3 per resident Hannibal Free Public Library 73,483

Canton2,752 people 4.3 per resident Canton Public Library 11,777

St. James3,916 people 4.2 per resident James Memorial Library 16,457

Monroe City3,028 people 4.2 per resident Monroe City Public Library 10,502

Webb City13,221 people 3.8 per resident Webb City Public Library 49,411

St. Joseph71,236 people 3.6 per resident Saint Joseph Public Library 222,594

39 Bowling Green4,170 people 3.5 per resident Bowling Green Public Library 14,583

Higginsville4,781 people 3.4 per resident Robertson Memorial Library 14,339

Chaffee3,026 people 3.3 per resident Chaffee Public Library 10,000

Sedalia22,003 people 2.9 per resident Sedalia Public Library 58,210

Bonne Terre6,683 people 2.6 per resident Bonne Terre Memorial Library 18,209

Park Hills8,678 people 2.5 per resident Park Hills Public Library 21,067

Ferguson18,213 people 2.3 per resident Ferguson Municipal Public Library District 42,870

Sikeston16,320 people 2.3 per resident Sikeston Public Library 33,264

Marshall13,739 people 2.1 per resident Marshall Public Library 29,605

Crystal City4,718 people 2.0 per resident Crystal City Public Library 9,415

Desloge4,863 people 1.6 per resident Desloge Public Library 7,645

Louisiana3,228 people 1.3 per resident Louisiana Public Library 4,068

How this ranking works

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.

Same ranking in other states

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