Cost of Living Second Quarter 2026
Missouri had 7th lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter of 2026. In general, the most expensive areas to live in were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were the Midwest and Southern states. Missouri’s cost of living index for the second quarter of 2026 was 88.2, compared to the national benchmark index set to 100. MERIC derives the cost-of-living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state.
MERIC Current Employment Statistics Dashboard
The Current Employment Statistics dashboard provides an interactive way to view nonfarm employment data for Missouri and its metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Use this dashboard for an overview of current and historical employment for the state of Missouri, to compare employment in different MSAs, and to explore trends by detailed industries over time.
Videos
Click on the following link to view instructional videos on how to use and view reports and data on the MERIC website.
