Cost of Living Data Series

Missouri had the seventh lowest cost of living in the United States for the second quarter of 2023. 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 2023 was 89.9.

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 Impage JPG

2023 Second Quarter 2023 Cost of Living

Rank State Index  Grocery Housing Utilities Transportation Health  Misc.
1 Mississippi  86.0 94.9 69.5 87.6 91.0 98.3 92.1
2 Oklahoma  86.9 94.6 70.6 97.0 90.9 92.0 92.4
3 Kansas  87.2 95.0 70.0 102.0 93.9 98.5 90.6
4 Alabama  88.2 97.1 69.8 101.9 90.5 88.0 95.3
5 West Virginia  89.3 98.3 69.3 95.0 100.1 99.0 96.2
6 Georgia  89.3 96.7 76.6 86.9 90.9 98.7 95.4
7 Missouri  89.9 96.8 79.2 95.9 95.0 88.7 92.9
8 Iowa  89.9 98.0 73.4 94.8 98.1 99.3 95.2
9 Arkansas  90.1 94.1 76.7 95.4 90.3 85.6 98.6
10 Tennessee  90.4 96.2 82.7 93.6 90.3 88.7 93.7
11 Nebraska  91.3 96.7 80.9 86.7 99.9 99.1 95.5
12 Ohio  91.4 101.8 73.8 93.7 98.2 95.3 98.3
13 Indiana  91.5 96.8 77.3 106.2 95.6 101.1 94.4
14 Wyoming  92.1 102.1 80.1 84.2 94.2 97.3 98.1
15 Michigan  92.1 96.6 80.1 100.4 97.7 94.0 96.1
16 Illinois  92.1 98.2 81.0 90.9 105.0 96.1 95.1
17 Louisiana  92.2 96.3 83.5 86.4 96.8 99.0 96.9
18 Texas  92.9 93.3 84.2 104.5 92.3 93.5 96.8
19 South Dakota  93.4 100.4 90.1 89.8 94.5 95.4 93.1
20 New Mexico  94.1 96.8 88.0 91.7 96.0 100.4 97.1
21 Kentucky  94.5 97.6 75.9 106.1 102.6 79.8 105.6
22 Wisconsin  95.1 98.1 84.6 103.6 96.3 114.6 97.2
23 Minnesota  95.6 98.5 83.3 95.2 98.5 111.5 101.6
24 North Carolina  95.8 98.1 91.6 95.0 92.2 108.9 97.5
25 North Dakota  96.0 97.7 86.4 100.6 99.3 112.3 98.9
26 South Carolina  96.4 100.5 89.0 107.3 90.2 96.2 99.2
27 Pennsylvania  97.0 101.2 85.7 106.1 105.0 97.7 99.9
28 Puerto Rico  97.9 112.8 82.8 147.1 88.4 70.0 96.8
29 Idaho  99.2 98.9 100.7 82.7 109.2 95.2 100.4
30 Nevada  101.7 103.4 111.8 97.4 114.6 93.4 91.6
31 Florida  101.9 101.9 108.2 100.0 98.8 96.5 98.8
32 Virginia  102.6 98.7 107.4 102.4 95.3 102.7 102.3
33 Utah  102.7 99.2 109.5 93.9 105.8 90.8 101.9
34 Montana  103.0 101.9 107.3 89.6 111.5 98.2 102.1
35 Delaware  103.3 103.1 101.3 95.7 109.3 104.6 105.5
36 Colorado  104.8 99.1 116.4 90.9 104.5 100.7 102.1
37 Arizona  107.1 101.3 121.9 97.4 105.0 94.9 102.4
38 New Jersey  111.7 104.3 130.1 108.2 106.4 95.4 104.4
39 Rhode Island  111.8 99.5 116.4 118.9 101.7 106.8 115.2
40 Maine  112.5 101.7 120.3 104.8 116.4 97.8 114.3
41 Connecticut  114.4 101.0 123.5 127.0 104.3 107.2 113.1
42 New Hampshire  114.6 102.7 108.4 122.0 110.4 124.0 123.1
43 Washington  115.5 109.2 129.9 90.9 116.2 119.8 112.3
44 Vermont  115.6 105.4 131.7 121.2 114.5 107.4 107.0
45 Oregon  116.2 107.4 140.8 97.2 117.1 103.0 106.7
46 Maryland  120.7 108.3 156.4 108.2 100.2 92.7 109.4
47 Alaska  125.3 129.9 119.6 147.2 119.5 152.1 119.7
48 New York  126.6 104.7 175.5 102.8 107.0 105.6 110.6
49 California  139.7 112.8 204.3 124.7 126.1 109.6 110.2
50 Massachusetts  143.1 108.7 202.3 123.4 114.3 117.9 126.1
51 District of Columbia  149.7 105.9 245.1 111.7 107.0 102.9 118.4
52 Hawaii  181.5 132.7 314.1 140.3 131.8 119.4 126.3
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 2023. The city with the lowest cost of living index for this time period was Joplin with an index of 83.3 The city with the highest cost of living was Cape Girardeau, with an index of 95.2. 

Cost of Living Indices for Participating Missouri Cities - Second Quarter 2023

Metro Index Grocery Housing Utilities Transport. Health Misc.
Joplin, Mo 83.3 92.2 61.2 101.6 95.8 92.1 88.3
Springfield, MO      86.1 94.6 73.7 83.6 88.6 96.1 91.1
St. Louis MO-IL  87.9 97.4 75.7 96.9 92.5 88.3 89.9
 Missouri  89.9 96.8 79.2 95.9 95.0 88.7 92.9
 Columbia, MO 92.9 98.2 85.2 93.8

95.2

 91.1 96.4
Kansas City MO-KS 94.1 94.5 97.9 104.2 87.0 85.9 91.0
Cape Girardeau Mo-Il 95.2 103.8 81.5 95.5 110.8 78.9 100.8
US Average   100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Cost of Living for Selected Missouri Cities Second Quarter 2023 Image JPG

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