Missouri Water Systems Serving the Most Disadvantaged Populations — 2026
Missouri community water utilities serving populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS 2019-2023, aggregated via EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3).
ranked
with demographic data
vintage
boundaries (March 2026)
These 50 Missouri water utilities serve populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Within-size-class percentile rankings neutralize the confound of system size; no geographic cap is applied at the state level because all utilities are within a single state.
| Rank | Water System | State | Pop served | Equity score | % PoC served | % Below 200% FPL | Unresolved violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston Public Water System | Missouri | 3,524 | 90.9 | 55% | 56% | — |
| 2 | Fort Leonard Wood | Missouri | 8,689 | 83.9 | 54% | 41% | — |
| 3 | Jackson County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 12,952 | 79.8 | 56% | 37% | — |
| 4 | Monett Public Water System | Missouri | 8,882 | 76.1 | 32% | 46% | — |
| 5 | University of Missouri Columbia | Missouri | 7,750 | 72.9 | 25% | 51% | — |
| 6 | Carthage Public Water System | Missouri | 13,509 | 71.6 | 32% | 40% | — |
| 7 | Boone County Pwsd 9 | Missouri | 11,781 | 69.2 | 25% | 45% | — |
| 8 | Kennett Public Water System | Missouri | 9,367 | 69 | 25% | 44% | — |
| 9 | Sikeston Public Water System | Missouri | 13,110 | 66.8 | 27% | 39% | — |
| 10 | Mississippi County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 3,427 | 66.4 | 21% | 45% | — |
| 11 | Malden Public Water System | Missouri | 3,992 | 66 | 21% | 45% | — |
| 12 | Neosho Public Water System | Missouri | 10,119 | 65.3 | 23% | 42% | — |
| 13 | Marshall Public Water System | Missouri | 12,938 | 65.2 | 28% | 37% | — |
| 14 | Jasper County Pwsd 3 | Missouri | 6,197 | 62.4 | 23% | 39% | — |
| 15 | Cape Girardeau Public Water System | Missouri | 32,099 | 61.2 | 23% | 38% | — |
| 16 | Poplar Bluff Public Water System | Missouri | 14,821 | 60.7 | 15% | 48% | 1 |
| 17 | Butler County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 12,438 | 59.8 | 14% | 48% | — |
| 18 | Pulaski County Pwsd 2 | Missouri | 5,539 | 58 | 28% | 32% | — |
| 19 | Branson Public Water System | Missouri | 7,558 | 58 | 18% | 39% | — |
| 20 | Moberly Pws | Missouri | 11,755 | 57.4 | 16% | 41% | — |
| 21 | Sedalia Public Water System | Missouri | 22,254 | 57.4 | 19% | 38% | — |
| 22 | Mo American Tri State | Missouri | 4,117 | 57.2 | 18% | 39% | — |
| 23 | Pulaski County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 3,702 | 56.6 | 20% | 36% | — |
| 24 | Rolla Public Water System | Missouri | 17,638 | 56.2 | 15% | 40% | — |
| 25 | Mo American Joplin | Missouri | 57,269 | 56 | 17% | 38% | — |
| 26 | Liberty Utilities Aurora Verona | Missouri | 4,731 | 55.3 | 11% | 48% | — |
| 27 | Kirksville Public Water System | Missouri | 15,888 | 55.2 | 13% | 42% | — |
| 28 | Mo American Mexico | Missouri | 10,297 | 55.2 | 16% | 39% | — |
| 29 | Kansas City Public Water System | Missouri | 437,807 | 54.7 | 46% | 33% | — |
| 30 | Taney County Pwsd 3 | Missouri | 8,938 | 53.7 | 16% | 38% | — |
| 31 | Webb City Public Water System | Missouri | 13,526 | 53.2 | 15% | 39% | — |
| 32 | Taney County Pwsd 2 | Missouri | 4,357 | 52.9 | 12% | 41% | — |
| 33 | Scott County Pwsd 4 | Missouri | 6,255 | 52.8 | 16% | 37% | — |
| 34 | Lebanon Pws | Missouri | 13,902 | 52 | 10% | 45% | — |
| 35 | Jasper County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 5,052 | 51.8 | 16% | 36% | — |
| 36 | Lamar Public Water System | Missouri | 4,292 | 51.2 | 7% | 50% | — |
| 37 | Laclede County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 4,351 | 51.2 | 10% | 43% | — |
| 38 | Laclede County Pwsd 3 | Missouri | 4,019 | 51.1 | 9% | 44% | — |
| 39 | Butler Public Water System | Missouri | 3,736 | 51 | 9% | 45% | — |
| 40 | Barton Dade Cedar Jasp Countycons Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 3,758 | 51 | 11% | 40% | — |
| 41 | Belton Public Water System | Missouri | 16,804 | 50.8 | 25% | 29% | — |
| 42 | Mountain Grove Pws | Missouri | 3,581 | 50.4 | 11% | 40% | — |
| 43 | Pilot Knob Rural Water District 1 N & S | Missouri | 4,511 | 49.9 | 8% | 45% | — |
| 44 | Mo American Warrensburg | Missouri | 17,900 | 49.7 | 16% | 35% | — |
| 45 | Salem Pws | Missouri | 4,428 | 49.7 | 8% | 44% | — |
| 46 | Adair County Pwsd 1 | Missouri | 8,366 | 49.3 | 10% | 40% | — |
| 47 | Maryville Public Water System | Missouri | 9,813 | 49 | 10% | 41% | 1 |
| 48 | West Plains Public Water System | Missouri | 10,753 | 48.8 | 6% | 48% | — |
| 49 | Dexter Public Water System | Missouri | 8,439 | 48.3 | 7% | 44% | — |
| 50 | Howell County Pwsd 3 | Missouri | 3,502 | 48.1 | 11% | 39% | — |
How to read this ranking
Each row links to a full utility profile with violation history, lead testing results, and service-area ZIPs. The demographic context columns are from independent data sources (ACS, not EJScreen) and are provided for readers who want to examine equity patterns alongside the operational data.
See the full methodology for calculation details, data vintages, and known limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "equity score" mean?
A 0-100 composite that combines two within-size-class percentile ranks: (1) percent of population served that is non-white (Census ACS B03002), and (2) percent below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS C17002). Within-size-class comparison (small, medium, large) is used because small rural systems and large urban systems have structurally different demographic profiles; mixing them in a single ranking produces a methodologically weak list dominated by size rather than disparity.
Why is the list capped at 5 systems per state?
Without a cap, the list concentrates in states with large numbers of historically disadvantaged small-to-medium systems (Texas, California). A geographic diversity cap produces a more nationally-representative snapshot. Per-state rankings, if available, show the full within-state comparison without a cap.
Does this claim discrimination?
No. It reports a demographic fact: these water utilities serve populations that are more non-white and lower-income than the national median, after controlling for system size. Causation — why that pattern exists — is a separate research question requiring different data and methods.
ZipCheckup is an independent public-data tool. We are a referral service and do not provide water testing, remediation, or utility services. Rankings reflect publicly-available federal data and are provided for informational purposes. For issues with your specific water system, contact your local water utility or state drinking water program.