Missouri seems to just have people in every back hollow I've explored. I have spent a few weeks driving around the back woods rural Missouri looking for mopars. Found a bunch, including an aar. Everywhere I went, every little dirt road had someone living at the end of it. Seemed like there are more people in the state than what it appears to hold.
But like most of the Southern states you can get lost pretty easily in Missouri due to the sheer amount of trees. You can't see through the trees at all. Makes for the illusion that you are alone.
Guns are very acceptable in Missouri. Of course I'm talking rural. Big city people have the same problems as other big city people.