Missouri is a state located in the Midwestern United States. As of the 2020 census, 6,154,913 (98.12%) of the 6,270,541 residents of Missouri lived in a municipality in the 2025 estimate.
Missouri is the 18th-most populous state and 18th-largest by land area, spanning of land. Missouri is divided into 115 counties and contains 936 municipalities consisting of cities.
City requirements In Missouri, cities are classified into three types: 3rd Class, 4th Class, and those under constitutional charters. A few older cities are incorporated under legislative charters (Carrollton, Chillicothe, LaGrange, Liberty, Miami, Missouri City, and Pleasant Hill) which are no longer allowed. (Carthage is also a Charter City and Charter Cities are by constitution not legislation and are still allowed to this day). The level at which they incorporate is determined by their population when they incorporate. They do not change if they gain or lose in population, unless a vote is held by the people.
Cities under constitutional charters may operate under any form of municipal government if it is enacted in the city's charter.
Home Rule class: Cities with more than 5,000 inhabitants Third class: Municipalities with a population between 3,000 and 29,999 Fourth class: Municipalities with a population between 500 and 2,999 Village class: Municipalities with less than 500 inhabitants
Municipalities
As of May 2026, the 936 Missouri municipalities include 643 cities, 104 towns, and 189 villages.