Cost of Living Data Series

Missouri had the 7th lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter 2022. In general, the most expensive areas to live were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were the Midwest and Southern states. 

MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state. Missouri’s cost of living index for the second quarter 2022 was 88.6.

Cities across the nation participate in the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2ER) survey on a volunteer basis. Price information in the survey is governed by C2ER collection guidelines which strive for uniformity.

Cost of Living Map of United States Second Quarter 2022 Jpeg Image

2022 Second Quarter Cost of Living

Rank State Index  Grocery Housing Utilities Transportation Health  Misc.
1 Mississippi  84.9 92.6 68.5 89.7 93.3 99.6 91.5
2 Oklahoma  85.7 93.3 71.0 95.2 90.6 95.5 90.7
3 Kansas  86.4 92.0 71.7 98.1 97.1 102.7 89.1
4 Alabama  87.5 97.8 69.9 100.7 90.0 89.6 94.2
5 Georgia  87.8 93.6 75.4 91.0 88.3 95.2 95.0
6 West Virginia  88.5 98.7 67.8 94.5 111.0 100.6 94.5
7 Missouri  88.6 95.9 79.5 95.3 90.2 91.7 90.6
8 Indiana  88.9 93.3 77.3 103.1 91.3 95.6 91.9
9 Iowa  89.0 101.0 72.0 94.0 96.4 99.4 94.5
10 Tennessee  89.5 94.2 80.0 94.0 90.8 89.9 94.8
11 Arkansas  89.9 92.9 78.1 96.9 92.8 81.2 98.8
12 Texas  90.9 89.9 82.5 100.5 93.4 94.4 95.9
13 Illinois  91.4 98.0 80.7 92.2 105.4 97.8 94.0
14 Nebraska  91.5 97.7 83.6 86.5 95.1 100.0 95.5
15 Michigan  91.6 91.7 80.6 99.1 99.0 97.8 97.6
16 Wyoming  91.8 103.0 80.4 83.2 93.2 100.1 98.5
17 Ohio  92.0 98.7 78.4 94.8 97.6 94.9 99.5
18 Louisiana  92.8 96.4 86.9 87.6 98.4 101.5 96.0
19 New Mexico  93.6 98.1 88.2 91.4 97.1 103.1 95.1
20 South Dakota  93.8 104.6 91.0 89.3 90.8 95.2 92.6
21 South Carolina  94.2 101.0 81.1 110.8 92.7 95.0 98.4
22 Wisconsin  94.8 97.7 84.1 102.7 94.7 112.7 99.1
23 North Carolina  95.0 98.0 88.9 96.6 89.9 108.6 98.4
24 Kentucky  95.2 94.0 78.3 108.5 109.0 79.1 107.8
25 North Dakota  96.7 102.0 92.3 94.8 98.1 109.8 96.6
26 Minnesota  96.8 101.3 84.0 99.4 98.0 110.0 104.2
27 Pennsylvania  97.9 104.9 87.4 109.9 103.4 95.0 99.5
28 Puerto Rico  98.0 119.9 73.7 151.6 88.1 72.7 98.3
29 Idaho  99.7 97.6 106.0 82.2 110.9 93.4 98.5
30 Utah  102.4 99.8 108.2 93.1 108.0 93.7 100.9
31 Florida  103.0 105.0 107.6 101.7 100.5 97.7 98.9
32 Virginia  103.2 96.3 110.3 98.8 95.8 104.0 103.2
33 Delaware  103.9 103.0 103.8 94.6 115.6 103.8 104.7
34 Montana  104.8 102.5 119.0 84.9 106.3 94.6 99.5
35 Colorado  105.1 94.2 122.7 90.5 100.6 95.6 100.6
36 Nevada  105.4 105.1 118.0 94.6 118.1 94.6 94.6
37 Arizona  106.9 101.6 121.5 100.4 101.8 96.7 99.8
38 New Hampshire  113.2 103.1 105.5 112.4 105.8 126.8 127.2
39 Rhode Island  113.8 100.1 116.9 125.8 112.5 101.5 116.6
40 Washington  113.9 108.1 125.5 89.6 111.3 120.5 113.4
41 Connecticut  116.7 104.9 122.3 131.4 107.5 102.9 117.0
42 Vermont  116.7 107.8 130.1 120.7 118.6 110.1 107.2
43 Maine  116.9 101.8 126.6 99.8 123.1 100.8 122.2
44 New Jersey  118.6 103.1 141.9 112.4 109.2 96.5 111.3
45 Oregon  120.6 107.1 144.3 106.0 132.6 102.2 108.5
46 Maryland  125.1 112.1 162.7 106.2 102.3 88.1 111.5
47 Alaska  126.7 135.0 120.3 148.4 115.5 152.9 120.1
48 New York  136.8 112.1 191.5 99.5 111.6 105.5 117.9
49 California  139.8 116.4 193.2 125.0 129.9 109.8 109.9
50 Massachusetts  147.9 112.8 204.7 122.9 119.3 117.9 129.6
51 District of Columbia  154.5 112.0 249.6 107.0 107.1 97.4 117.1
52 Hawaii  189.9 150.3 312.8 141.3 123.1 120.2 129.0
US  *** 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

All of the participating Missouri cities had a composite index below the national average for the second quarter of 2022. The city with the lowest cost of living index for 2022 was Joplin with an index of 80.7 The city with the highest cost of living was Kansas City, with an index of 95.7.

Cost of Living Indices for Participating Missouri Cities - Second Quarter 2022

Metro Index Grocery Housing Utilities Transport. Health Misc.
Joplin, Mo 80.7 91.4 62.3 99.0 89.2 88.4 84.1
St. Louis MO-IL      85.7 96.5 73.7 95.0 86.7 89.8 87.7
Springfield, MO 87.1 96.5 75.0 86.8 92.5 101.7 90.9
Missouri  88.6 95.9 79.5 95.3 90.2 91.7 90.6
Columbia, MO 94.7 102.5 86.3 95.6

97.1

 90.4 98.8
Kansas City MO-KS  95.7 94.6 101.6 101.7 87.0 90.3 91.2
US Average   100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Cost of Living for Selected Missouri Cities 2nd Quarter 2022 JPG IMAGE

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