For the first time, Warrenton has been named one of the Most Neighborly Missouri Cities, coming in at No. 15 on the annual list compiled by the University of Missouri Extension.

The rankings are determined by points scored through “acts of neighboring” and “neighboring events” reported in each city, with the five cities scoring the most points in different population size categories taking the top spots on the list.

These were Marble Hill in the 1,500 or less population category, Houston in the 1,500 to 5,000 population category, Excelsior Springs in the 5,000 to 15,000 category, Republic in the 15,000 to 30,000 category, and Springfield in the over 30,000 population category.

Lee’s Summit, St. Peters, Columbia, Salem and Fremont Hills also finished in the top 10, followed by St. Louis, Goodman, Jefferson City, Lebanon, Warrenton, Independence, Kansas City, Higginsville, Kirkwood, Boonville, Forsyth, Camdenton, California, Raymore and Warrensburg.

Warrenton had 33 reported acts of neighboring for 2026, impacting 969 people, according to the Missouri Good Neighbor Week website.

This was the first year that the top 25 ranking cities were published, with only the top 10 included in past years, and was also the first year Warrenton made the list, according to David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

“A lot of our own research in the last few years has demonstrated that our culture has shifted to where people now say a good neighbor is ‘someone who is quiet and leaves me alone,’ and so a friendly wave is about the extent of our connection with neighbors for many people,” said Burton, founder of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, which was signed into law in 2022 and has since been celebrated annually from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4.

“About 22 percent of Missourians say they know the names of some or all of their neighbors. Depending on the region, upwards of 40 percent will say they do not know the name of a single neighbor,” Burton said.

Burton started his program in Greene County, but he said the message has been well-received statewide. Both he and MU Extension Engagement Specialist Deana Dothage, who recently gave her own presentation in Warrenton modeled on Burton’s, said the idea has roots in the COVID-19 pandemic, “although it’s been a several-decade slide into where we are in terms of relationships with our neighbors,” Burton said.

“This program came about because when COVID happened, we were all taught to be isolated — don’t talk to anybody, don’t get near anybody, just stay away from people. And that created a lot of isolation and loneliness, and there was an increase in suicides,” said Dothage, who works in St. Charles County but lives in Warrenton. “And so the University of Missouri said ‘What can we do to help smooth things out and get people back out?’”

Dothage gave examples of ways to connect with neighbors, such as hosting a block party or inviting someone to go for a walk in the park.

While they were once more common, these kinds of neighborly gestures have become less widespread as “privacy has replaced connection,” Dothage said.

“We don’t want to be bothered by other people. We now do self-checkouts. We don’t even have to talk to the people in the store if we don’t want to, we can just do self-checkout and not talk to any customers or any checkout people,” she said, also giving the example of many people increasingly preferring to communicate through text messages rather than phone calls.

“So people just have gotten lonely,” Dothage said. She added, however, that there are many benefits to having closer relationships with neighbors.

“You’ve got to think about the neighbors being the first responders,” she said. “If a tree branch falls down on your house, it might be a while before you can actually get somebody to come and help you, but your neighbors are going to notice what’s going on and be the first ones to come out and say, ‘Oh my gosh, can I help you?’”

Dothage added that natural disasters or weather events are not the only time that knowing your neighbors can improve your own safety.

“I think the more you know your neighbors, the less likely you are to experience crime, because you’ve seen it and you’ve noticed it, you’ve done something about it in advance,” she said.

Burton noted that members of the public can go online and nominate people to be recognized in various categories, such as the most engaged neighbor in Missouri, most neighborly business, or most neighborly neighborhood. While MU Extension does not reveal its complete formula for determining the most neighborly cities, all those reported acts of neighboring earn points.

Burton acknowledged that it’s likely that not all cities in the state are aware of Missouri Good Neighbor Week or focused to the same extent on reporting acts of neighboring, and that Dothage’s involvement in promoting the program locally may have tipped the scales in Warrenton’s favor.

“But you’re ahead of Independence, and I know Independence, the city and the committee really worked hard together and organized a week-long event and activities,” he said. “That was the first year they had done that in Independence — and that’s a bigger city than Warrenton, much larger — and you guys finished on the list ahead of them, so that’s a kind of cool indicator as well.”

For more information about Missouri Good Neighbor Week, or to report an act of neighboring, visit missourigoodneighborweek.org.