Missouri's Strengths

Missouri's top credit benefits from its economic diversity, good financial management, strong reserves, and a low debt burden, according to a new report from Standard & Poor's.

"In our view, the Missouri economy's greatest strength is its diversity, which is based partially on the state's location at the geographic center of the nation; this gives it an economic advantage in trade and manufacturing," analyst Corey Friedman wrote in the report.

Missouri's two major metropolitan areas, St. Louis and Kansas City, which are home to 55% of its population, host a wide variety of employment opportunities across all income levels, and provide the lion's share of the state's income. The state carries top credit marks from all three rating agencies.

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Missouri
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