Springfield is supposed to be the best city in Missouri to live in

Hammons Field and downtown Springfield, Missouri.Photo byRaschmidt87, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Not too long ago, Housely.com said if you're going to live in Missouri, Springfield is the best city to live in the state. Affordability and lower cost of living are reasons Springfield is the best city to live in if you're going to live in Missouri.

There's also a lot of outdoor recreation. It's been an attractive destination for families and young professionals. According to World Population Review, the population of Springfield, Missouri is 170,525. It's the third most populous city in the state. The City of Springfield's website states it is home to a metro population of more than 475,000 that encompasses he five counties of Dallas, Greene, Christian, Polk, and Webster.

Springfield is the county seat for Greene County. It's also part of the Springfield-Branson Metro Area. It's been nicknamed the Queen City of the Ozarks, the Birthplace of Route 66, and the Bible Belt, the latter of which includes most of Missouri.

The city's low cost of living allows residents to stretch their paychecks making Springfield a financially viable option for those looking to put down roots. According to Redfin, the housing market in Springfield is very competitive.

The Springfield housing market is very competitive. The median sale price of a home in Springfield was $200K last month, up 0.5% since last year. The median sale price per square foot in Springfield is $134, up 103.8% since last year. (Source.)

Commercial Street Historic District, Springfield, Missouri.Photo byDiedrichb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

There are several suburbs in Springfield. According to Niche, Springfield has an overall grade of B+ while some suburbs are graded higher. Niche is a data resource tool to help people and families find good schools and neighborhoods.

• Battlefield (Niche grade A)
• Freemont Hills (Niche grade A)
• Nixa (Niche grade A)
• Ozark (Niche grade A-)
• Republic (Niche grade A-)

Beyond the economic advantages, Springfield has a lot going on if you're looking for something to do. Of course, if you move there, most things will be new to you. The city's downtown district is popular. The Ozark Mountains aren't that far away. The city, itself, isn't that far from Kansas City or St. Louis. If you're an outdoors type person, there are many options to choose from including hiking and fishing.

Springfield is also home to Bass Pro, Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, and a variety of restaurants. Springfield is also close to Branson that's full of shows and Silver Dollar City, and it has popular golf venues. The countryside surrounding Springfield is also beautiful.

Springfield is also a college town. It's home to Missouri State University, Drury University, Evangel University, Southwest Baptist University, and two technical schools. The top three universities have sports teams competing throughout the year, and there's the Springfield Lasers which is a World Team Tennis franchise that plays during the summer.

Park Central Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri with Landers Building in the background.Photo by.The original uploader was Joelfun at English Wikipedia., FAL, via Wikimedia Commons.

Whenever you consider moving to a new city, you always want to check out the crime rate. Bestplaces which obtains its numbers from FBI data is a good resource. When you hear, "crime is everywhere," it's important to look at the numbers. Bestplaces indicates that Kansas City and St. Louis have a higher crime rate as it relates to violent crimes. Regarding property crime, Springfield has the higher rate than those two cities. The city closest to Springfield that has a very low crime rate is Niangua. There are other small cities near Springfield that have low crime rates.

Like other cities in the country, there's also a lot of history in and around Springfield, some of it's interesting and some might be unsettling.

Overall, with its combination of economic opportunity and affordability, this is why Springfield, Missouri is said to be one of the best cities in the state to live in. This city also has something for everyone.

Thanks for reading.