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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Missouri's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Springfield at index 90, where median rent of $1,209/month saves renters $8,232/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Springfield — cost index 90, 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 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Missouri's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Springfield at index 90, where median rent of $1,209/month saves renters $8,232/year versus the national median.
Rent data is sourced from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which tracks the median rent across all active listings — not just new leases. This gives a more representative and stable signal than asking prices alone. Springfield: $1,209/mo, Independence: $1,313/mo, St Louis: $1,326/mo. The cheapest city here is $686 under the national median — that's $8,232/year in savings on rent alone.
A closer look at Springfield: the cost index of 90 breaks down to a Housing index of 76 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 93 (weakest). Median rent is $1,209/month — 36% below the national median — while household income sits at $45,984, meaning locals spend about 32% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
Read this before you sign a lease anywhere: Springfield rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Springfield has increased from $1,177 — though some people might weigh that differently — to $1,209/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. Solidly above average.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield | $1,209 | 90 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | $1,313 | 90 | Details |
| 3 | St Louis | $1,326 | 89 | Details |
| 4 | Kansas | $1,418 | 94 | Details |
112,544 residents · Missouri
Springfield earns its position at #1 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.
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.
281,754 residents · Missouri
St Louis earns its position at #3 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.
152,933 residents · Missouri
Dive into Kansas's numbers: cost index 94 — whether that matters depends on your situation — (18 points below national average), rent $1,418/month, income $67,449, and a home price of $245,199. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 85, while Healthcare runs 97. With 152,933 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by median 1-bedroom rent from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI). ZORI reflects the median rent across all listed units, not just new leases, providing a more stable and representative figure. 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 90 and median income of $45,984.
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 90 and rent of $1,209/mo, while Kansas (ranked #4) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,418/mo — a 4-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.