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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Louis leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,326/month — 30% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Louis leads at an index of 89 with rent at just $1,326/month — 30% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
St Louis comes in at #1. Rent is $1,326 a month. Household income is $55,279. The cost of living index is 89. That's more or less in line with the region.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.). Solidly above average.
Put it this way: the trade-off becomes clearer when you add healthcare into the mix. And roughly speaking, the 4 cities we track in Missouri paint a clearly affordable picture. That alone makes it worth considering. Average cost index: 91. Median rent: $1,317/month. Household income: $57,048. Missouri is known for two major metros with small-city price tags — and the data backs that reputation convincingly (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
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. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#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
281,754 residents · Missouri
St Louis earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 89 cost index sits 23 points below the national baseline, and the $55,279 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $179,917 — $287,453 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 74, while Healthcare trails at 92.
120,922 residents · Missouri
Independence earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 90 cost index sits 22 points below the national baseline, and the $59,480 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $203,383 — $263,987 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 76, while Healthcare trails at 93 (your mileage may vary — literally).
112,544 residents · Missouri
The way we see it, 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. That's more or less in line with the region. 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.
152,933 residents · Missouri
The numbers for Kansas are straightforward: 94 on the cost index, $1,418/month rent, $67,449 income. And roughly speaking, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. The definition of value.
| Rank | City | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 92 | 89 | $1,326 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | 93 | 90 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | Springfield | 93 | 90 | $1,209 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 97 | 94 | $1,418 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within Missouri. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
St Louis, MO has the lowest healthcare index at 92, compared to the national average of 100.
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.