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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Veterans' benefits — pension, VA disability, GI Bill — stretch farther in some cities. We ranked 4 cities in Missouri on cost, state tax burden, and healthcare. St Louis leads with index 89 and 4.8% state tax.
281,754 residents · Missouri
Dive into St Louis's numbers: cost index 89 — and that's before you even look at taxes — (23 points below national average), rent $1,326/month, income $55,279, and a home price of $179,917. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 74, while Healthcare runs 92. With 281,754 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
152,933 residents · Missouri
What does daily life actually cost in Kansas? Start with the 25% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 85) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 97) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $67,449 and homes at $245,199 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
120,922 residents · Missouri
What does daily life actually cost in Independence? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. And in most cases, on the category level, Housing (index 76) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 93) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $59,480 and homes at $203,383 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
112,544 residents · Missouri
The #4 spot goes to Springfield, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,209/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — saving renters $8,232 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 76, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 93. The 32% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
#1 Ranked: St Louis — cost index 89, rent $1,326/mo, income $55,279
St Louis rent up 3% over the past year
Veteran scoring: cost index 89, state tax 4.8%, healthcare index 92 — preserving earned benefits
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 2 | Kansas | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
| 3 | Independence | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 4 | Springfield | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
Veterans' benefits — pension, VA disability, GI Bill — stretch farther in some cities. We ranked 4 cities in Missouri on cost, state tax burden, and healthcare. St Louis leads with index 89 and 4.8% state tax.
The #1 spot goes to St Louis, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,326/month — saving renters $6,828 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 74, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 92. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
Veterans have unique financial considerations: pension, VA disability, GI Bill benefits all interact with local costs and taxes. Our model weights cost of living (20pts), state tax burden (20pts), and healthcare costs (15pts) for supplemental care beyond VA. St Louis scores highest with a 89 cost index and 4.8% state tax.
St Louis rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked St Louis has increased from $1,282 to $1,326/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
And here's what ties it all together: Across Missouri, the average cost of living index is 91 — 21 points below the national median. Known for two major metros with small-city price tags, the state offers 4 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,317/month. That's $578 less than the national average of $1,895. When healthcare costs are this low, the savings ripple across every other category.
Bottom line: St Louis leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
St Louis ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and median income of $55,279.
St Louis scores highest for military veterans due to its below-average cost of living, median rent of $1,326/mo, and competitive median income of $55,279.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
St Louis (ranked #1) has a cost index of 89 and rent of $1,326/mo, while Springfield (ranked #4) has a cost index of 90 and rent of $1,209/mo — a 1-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in St Louis is $1,326/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $569 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in St Louis is $179,917, which is 3.3× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Missouri has a 4.8% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.335%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.88%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.