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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 4 of 4 cities in Missouri beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. St Louis stands out at 89 on the index, with rent of $1,326/month and household income of $55,279. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 4 of 4 cities in Missouri beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. St Louis stands out at 89 on the index, with rent of $1,326/month and household income of $55,279. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
What does daily life actually cost in St Louis? Start with the 29% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 74) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 92) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $55,279 and homes at $179,917 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. St Louis (index 89 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $1,326); Independence (index 90, rent $1,313); Springfield (index 90, rent $1,209). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
#1 Ranked: St Louis — cost index 89, rent $1,326/mo, income $55,279
St Louis rent up 3% over the past year
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
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 | Independence | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | Springfield | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
281,754 residents · Missouri
Dive into St Louis's numbers: cost index 89 (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.
120,922 residents · Missouri
The #2 spot goes to Independence, and the breakdown explains why. And as far as the data shows, renters here pay $1,313/month — saving renters $6,984 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. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
170,188 residents · Missouri
Springfield earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 90 cost index sits 22 points below the national baseline, and the $45,984 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $238,992 — $228,378 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 76, while Healthcare trails at 93.
510,704 residents · Missouri
Kansas earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 94 cost index sits 18 points below the national baseline, and the $67,449 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $245,199 — $222,171 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 85, while Healthcare trails at 97.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in ascending order. This index weights housing (Zillow ZORI rent data) most heavily, with food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare sub-indices providing a composite picture. A score of 80 means overall costs are 20% below the national median. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
St Louis ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 89 and 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 Kansas (ranked #4) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 5-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.