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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. Springfield leads at an index of 71 with rent at just $1,209/month — 36% 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. Springfield leads at an index of 71 with rent at just $1,209/month — 36% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
Here's Springfield by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 71. Rent: $1,209/month. Income: $45,984/year. Home price: $238,992. Population: 112,544. The strongest category is Housing at 71; the most expensive is Healthcare at 94. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,232 per year vs. the national median. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 77 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 23% below the national median. Springfield leads at 71, followed by St Louis (77) and Independence (77). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Worth noting: Across Missouri, the average cost of living index is 77 — 34 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. That gap is hard to ignore.
Bottom line: Springfield 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: Springfield — cost index 71, rent $1,209/mo, income $45,984
Springfield rent up 3% over the past year
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
112,544 residents · Missouri
What does daily life actually cost in Springfield? Start with the 32% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Housing (index 71) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 94) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $45,984 and homes at $238,992 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
281,754 residents · Missouri
A closer look at St Louis: the cost index of 77 — make of that what you will — breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Median rent is $1,326/month — 30% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,279, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
120,922 residents · Missouri
The #3 spot goes to Independence, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,313/month — saving renters $6,984 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 77, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. A 26% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
152,933 residents · Missouri
A closer look at Kansas: the cost index of 83 breaks down to a Housing index of 83 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,418/month — 25% below the national median — while household income sits at $67,449, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield | 71 | 71 | $1,209 | Details |
| 2 | St Louis | 77 | 77 | $1,326 | Details |
| 3 | Independence | 77 | 77 | $1,313 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | 83 | 83 | $1,418 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their housing 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.
Springfield ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 71 and median income of $45,984.
Springfield, MO has the lowest housing index at 71, 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.
Springfield (ranked #1) has a cost index of 71 and rent of $1,209/mo, while Kansas (ranked #4) has a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 12-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 Springfield is $1,209/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $686 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Springfield is $238,992, which is 5.2× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. 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.