Missouri TV Markets and Sizes

Missouri Has a Long History of Groundbreaking TV Moments

Missouri TV Markets are defined by several Designated Market Areas (DMAs), ranging from major metropolitan hubs to smaller regional markets. Based on the 2025–2026 Nielsen rankings, here are the primary TV markets located within or significantly covering the state: Shockingly, only one TV market has climbed the ranks over the past few decades. The latest rankings are below.

The Biggest Missouri Markets

These markets are centered primarily within Missouri:

St. Louis (#24): The largest market in the state, covering the metro area and several surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois.
Kansas City (#35): Serving the western side of the state and extending into Kansas.
Springfield (#74): The primary hub for Southwest Missouri and the Ozarks.
Columbia-Jefferson City (#136): Covering the central part of the state and the state capital.
Joplin-Pittsburg (#151): Located in the southwest corner, shared with Southeast Kansas.
St. Joseph (#201): A smaller market serving the northwest corner of the state.

Shared & Border Markets

Because Nielsen markets are based on viewing patterns rather than state lines, several areas of Missouri are served by hubs in neighboring states:

Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg (#90): Covers Southeast Missouri, with stations based in both Cape Girardeau and Paducah, KY.
Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk (#175): Serves Northeast Missouri, with stations in Hannibal, MO, and Quincy, IL.
Ottumwa-Kirksville (#200): A small market serving North Central Missouri and Southeast Iowa.

Market	1996 (Rank/HH)	2006 (Rank/HH)	2016 (Rank/HH)	2026 (Rank/HH)
St. Louis	#21 / 1.12M	#21 / 1.22M	#21 / 1.21M	#24 / 1.27M
Kansas City	#33 / 820K	#31 / 919K	#33 / 931K	#33 / 1.03M
Springfield	#74 / 340K	#77 / 395K	#75 / 404K	#74 / 439K
Cape Girardeau	#80 / 335K	#80 / 383K	#82 / 370K	#90 / 378K
Col-Jeff City	#146 / 150K	#135 / 169K	#138 / 175K	#133 / 176K
Joplin	#147 / 147K	#147 / 151K	#153 / 129K	#151 / 155K
Hannibal	#160 / 98K	#164 / 103K	#171 / 99K	#175 / 99K
St. Joseph	#193 / 53K	#200 / 46K	#201 / 47K	#201 / 45K

The First TV Station in Missouri:

On February 8, 1947, Missouri officially entered the television age. KSD-TV (now known as KSDK Channel 5) signed on in St. Louis as the state’s first television station and only the ninth in the entire country.

IT was owned by the Pulitzer Publishing Company and was a true pioneer. At the time of its debut, there were only about four television sets in the entire city! The TVs were so expensive—roughly $625, or over $7,000 today—that crowds gathered outside department store windows just to catch a glimpse of the “fuzzy” black-and-white broadcast.