MOMissouri rankings

Towns with the most-used public libraries in Missouri

Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 50 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Missouri · Most-used libraries

Where Tipton lands: #46 of 50

1.5 per resident library visits a year · Visit Tipton →

1 Richmond Heights 16.6 per resident Richmond Heights Memorial Library 2 North Kansas City 16.5 per resident North Kansas City Public Library

3 Mountain View 12.3 per resident Mountain View Public Library

#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year

Richmond Heights9,153 people 16.6 per resident Richmond Heights Memorial Library 154,461

2 North Kansas City4,983 people 16.5 per resident North Kansas City Public Library 73,594

Mountain View2,658 people 12.3 per resident Mountain View Public Library 31,200

Macon5,466 people 9.7 per resident Macon Public Library 53,019

West Plains12,441 people 9.1 per resident West Plains Public Library 111,363

Rolla20,287 people 7.7 per resident Rolla Public Library 153,417

Brentwood8,144 people 7.6 per resident Brentwood Public Library 62,287

Montgomery City2,801 people 7.4 per resident Montgomery City Public Library 20,764

Centralia4,690 people 6.6 per resident Centralia Public Library 26,936

Kirkwood29,363 people 6.5 per resident Kirkwood Public Library 191,775

De Soto6,470 people 6.5 per resident De Soto Public Library 42,237

Carrollton3,145 people 5.7 per resident Carrollton Public Library 20,020

Maplewood8,156 people 5.5 per resident Maplewood Public Library 45,148

Salem4,677 people 4.9 per resident Salem Public Library 22,672

Webster Groves23,712 people 4.8 per resident Webster Groves Public Library 114,250

Nevada7,925 people 4.6 per resident Nevada Public Library 37,470

Joplin52,593 people 4.4 per resident Joplin Public Library 216,461

Poplar Bluff16,254 people 4.3 per resident Poplar Bluff Municipal Library District 69,488

Festus13,201 people 4.3 per resident Festus Public Library 54,478

Caruthersville5,326 people 3.9 per resident Caruthersville Public Library 21,595

Farmington18,282 people 3.8 per resident Farmington Public Library 69,820

St. Louis288,512 people 3.5 per resident City of St. Louis Municipal Library District 1,050,908

Ferguson18,213 people 3.4 per resident Ferguson Municipal Public Library District 63,094

Canton2,752 people 3.4 per resident Canton Public Library 9,168

Cape Girardeau40,344 people 3.3 per resident Municipal Library District of the City of Cape Girardeau 119,264

Cameron8,519 people 3.2 per resident Cameron Public Library 27,026

27 Bowling Green4,170 people 3.1 per resident Bowling Green Public Library 12,870

Webb City13,221 people 2.8 per resident Webb City Public Library 36,000

Dexter7,891 people 2.7 per resident Keller Public Library of Dexter 21,121

Rock Hill4,693 people 2.6 per resident Rock Hill Public Library 12,462

St. James3,916 people 2.6 per resident James Memorial Library 10,267

Louisiana3,228 people 2.4 per resident Louisiana Public Library 7,716

Maryville10,428 people 2.2 per resident Maryville Public Library 23,208

University City34,685 people 2.1 per resident University City Public Library 74,323

Hannibal16,771 people 2.1 per resident Hannibal Free Public Library 35,393

Higginsville4,781 people 2.1 per resident Robertson Memorial Library 8,748

Crystal City4,718 people 2.1 per resident Crystal City Public Library 9,799

Carthage15,574 people 2.0 per resident Carthage Public Library 31,200

St. Joseph71,236 people 1.9 per resident Saint Joseph Public Library 119,236

Park Hills8,678 people 1.9 per resident Park Hills Public Library 16,721

Brookfield4,144 people 1.9 per resident Brookfield Public Library 7,920

Chaffee3,026 people 1.9 per resident Chaffee Public Library 5,864

Marshall13,739 people 1.7 per resident Marshall Public Library 23,881

Bethany3,080 people 1.6 per resident Bethany Public Library 4,540

Monroe City3,028 people 1.6 per resident Monroe City Public Library 3,941

Tipton2,667 people 1.5 per resident Price James Memorial Library 4,316

Sikeston16,320 people 1.4 per resident Sikeston Public Library 20,176

Sedalia22,003 people 1.3 per resident Sedalia Public Library 26,104

Bonne Terre6,683 people 1.3 per resident Bonne Terre Memorial Library 9,297

Desloge4,863 people 1.1 per resident Desloge Public Library 5,452

How this ranking works

We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 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

AL AZ CA CO FL IL IA KS ME MA MI MN MO NE NH NJ NM NY OK OR PA RI SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WI All of the U.S.