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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Look, Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Kansas leads at an index of 83 with rent at just $1,418/month — 25% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (that's …
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 83 | $1,418 | Details |
| 2 | Independence | 77 | $1,313 | Details |
| 3 | St Louis | 77 | $1,326 | Details |
| 4 | Springfield | 71 | $1,209 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Kansas — cost index 83, rent $1,418/mo, income $67,449
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
Look, Missouri is a genuine bargain: 4 of the 4 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Kansas leads at an index of 83 with rent at just $1,418/month — 25% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026 (that's pre-tax, of course).
Here's the thing: 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. Kansas (index 83, rent $1,418); Independence (index 77, rent $1,313); St Louis (index 77, rent $1,326). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Real talk: 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. 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. This alone could tip the scales.
In plain English: Bottom line: Kansas 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. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
152,933 residents · Missouri
Look, a closer look at Kansas: the cost index of 83 — for better or worse — 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 about what we'd expect given the state context. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
120,922 residents · Missouri
A closer look at Independence: the cost index of 77 breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Median rent is $1,313/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $59,480, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
281,754 residents · Missouri
A closer look at St Louis: the cost index of 77 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.
112,544 residents · Missouri
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 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — . Income: $45,984/year. Home price: $238,992. Standard stuff, really. 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 kind of value just doesn't show up in expensive metros (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Cities are ranked by median household income using Census ACS data. Income alone doesn't tell the full story — we also show cost of living index so you can gauge real purchasing power in each city across Missouri. 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.
Kansas ranks #1 in Missouri for this analysis with a cost index of 83 and median income of $67,449.
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.
Kansas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 83 and rent of $1,418/mo, while Springfield (ranked #4) has a cost index of 71 and rent of $1,209/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 Kansas is $1,418/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $477 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Kansas is $245,199, which is 3.6× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.