There's no shortage of people discussing the best places to live in America, the Midwest, or Missouri. Everyone has an opinion, and there's no shortage of expert websites expressing their views. Livability is a site that explores what makes small to medium cities great places to live, and one Missouri city makes their Top 25 list of the best places to live in the Midwest.

Kansas and Illinois Outrank Missouri On the List

Livability's list seems to favor towns in Illinois, which had five towns make their list, and Minnesota, which had four towns make the list. Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, and Michigan had two cities on the list. Followed by Missouri and each of the Dakotas that had one city make the list.

That's not the entire story, however, as Overland Park and Lawrence, the two towns that make the list for Kansas, aren't too far over the state line from Missouri—especially Overland Park.

The Missouri Town That's Among The Best Places to Live

According to Livability, the Missouri town named among the best places to live is O'Fallon, a suburb not far from St. Louis. Livability says O'Fallon makes the list for various reasons, including a close-knit feel without skimping on amenities, affordability for young families, and proximity to area industries, which makes it a good town for young professionals.

They also cite community festivals, a wide selection of communities where people can live with something for almost every type of person or family, and its proximity to St. Louis, which provides a significant amount of bigger city activities near its residents.

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Of Course, It's All In The Eye of the Beholder

When I drive through O'Fallon, it seems like a nice place to live. I certainly haven't seen anything that makes me not want to live there. Yet, I pass through a few towns on 270, bypassing St. Louis, which I think would be lovely places to live. Others, not so much.

Don't forget to check out these related stories: Sedalia & Boonville Selected As Friendliest Towns In Missouri, and This Missouri River Town Is One of the Best In America. 

Illinois, with its five cities on the list, it's the same thing. I was surprised to see Peoria make the list. I think it's a nice place, yet it surprised me it made the list. I would have thought it was too blue-collar rust belt to make the list. Evanston, on the other hand, I'd expect to make the list, and while I'm sure it appeals to some folks, to me it just comes across as where the snooty people afraid to live in Chicago go.

I can also say that I'm sure some of you reading this in West Central Missouri, no matter how nice O'Fallon or Overland Park is, have no desire to live that close to St. Louis or Kansas City. So it is more about what you prefer.