Missouri Is Number One At All Of These Things

Missouri’s state fair is amazing, and it’s recognized by the International Association of Fairs and Expositions as number one in 13 categories. Missourians know that it’s the best because we attend every year!

This category might be considered subjective by some (in other states with lesser BBQ), but we all know that Missouri has the best BBQ in the world.

Missourians know how to cheer for our teams. We even broke the world record for the loudest cheering at a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2014 - 14.2 decibels!

Unfortunately, Missouri is top in the nation for identity theft. 365 cases of identity theft are reported in this state for every 100,000 residents.

Missouri is a great place for a college education! In addition to our quality schools, college tuition has only increased 9.2 percent since 2008. According to The College Board’s 2015 Trends in College Pricing report, that increase is the lowest in the entire nation.

One little Hamilton, Missouri business is booming! The U.S. Small Business Administration named Alan Doan and Sarah Galbraith "Small Business Owners of the Year" last year. They own Missouri Star Quilt Company, which sells as many as 5,000 quilts every day.

Mizzou ranks number one in the Mid-American Conference 2015-16 College Wrestling Standings.

While most of these "number ones" are positive, unfortunately this one isn’t. St. Louis ranks number one in the nation for the number of murders per capita, according to the FBI, with a rate of 50 homicides per 100,000 residents.

We’re not just good at wrestling - we’re also great at word-crafting! University of Missouri’s School of Journalism was ranked number one in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Destination America and USA Today named Eureka, Missouri the "Best Small Town in America" this year. The community spirit after last year’s flooding helped Eureka win this award, which is given to towns that exemplify "celebrating the qualities that make each hometown unique, and creating life-long memories with family and neighbors."