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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 77 — worth pausing on — with rent at just $1,326/month — 30% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data update…
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 77 — worth pausing on — 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.
Tax burden isn't just income tax. We combine three layers: state income tax (4.8% in St Louis), combined state+local sales tax (8.335%), and effective property tax (0.88%). At 4.8% state income tax, the real differentiator becomes sales and property tax rates. On a $75,000 salary, the estimated take-home in #1 St Louis is $54,110/year.
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 77) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) 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.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. In St Louis, the healthcare index sits at 95 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
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.
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. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. 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 77, 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 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Combined Rate | Income Tax | Sales Tax | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Louis | 14.0% | 4.8% | 8.335% | 77 | Details |
| 2 | Kansas | 14.0% | 4.8% | 8.335% | 83 | Details |
| 3 | Independence | 14.0% | 4.8% | 8.335% | 77 | Details |
| 4 | Springfield | 14.0% | 4.8% | 8.335% | 71 | Details |
281,754 residents · Missouri
A closer look at St Louis: the cost index of 77 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — 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.
152,933 residents · Missouri
Here's Kansas by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 83. Rent: $1,418/month — whether that matters depends on your situation — . Income: $67,449/year. Home price: $245,199. Population: 152,933. The strongest category is Housing at 83; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,724 per year vs. the national median. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
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.
112,544 residents · Missouri
Dive into Springfield's numbers: cost index 71 (40 points below national average), rent $1,209/month, income $45,984, and a home price of $238,992. And in practical terms, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 71, while Healthcare runs 94. With 112,544 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1St Louis | 4.8% | 8.335% | 0.88% | $41,182 |
2Kansas | 4.8% | 8.335% | 0.88% | $41,182 |
3Independence | 4.8% | 8.335% | 0.88% | $41,182 |
4Springfield | 4.8% | 8.335% | 0.88% | $41,182 |
St Louis ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 77 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 77 and rent of $1,326/mo, while Springfield (ranked #4) has a cost index of 71 and rent of $1,209/mo — a 6-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.