Cost of Living in Missouri
What it costs to live in Missouri, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 6,245,466
- Median household income
- $71,589
- State income tax
- Up to 4.7%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 90.8
What a typical paycheck keeps in Missouri
The typical Missouri worker earns $47,800 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $10,183 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $47,800
- Federal income tax
- −$3,556
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,657
- State income tax
- −$1,267
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$12,420
- Everyday costs
- −$16,717
a year, or $849 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Missouri.
Cost of living in Missouri
Prices across Missouri run 9% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing30% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities21% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)5% below the US average
- All items9% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,035 | $12,420 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $335 | $4,020 |
| Utilities | $207 | $2,484 |
| Total before taxes | $2,428 | $29,136 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Missouri taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $1,348 | 2% |
| $2,696 | 2.5% |
| $4,044 | 3% |
| $5,392 | 3.5% |
| $6,740 | 4% |
| $8,088 | 4.5% |
| $9,436 | 4.7% |
Kansas City and St. Louis earnings taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$71,589 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$6,920 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,477 |
| State income tax | −$2,379 |
| Effective tax rate | 20.6% |
Cities in Missouri
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Missouri city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Missouri
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $204,960 | $114,747 |
| Pharmacist | $137,610 | $70,656 |
| Physician assistant | $135,130 | $69,077 |
| Lawyer | $133,450 | $68,007 |
| Nurse practitioner | $129,930 | $65,767 |
| Software engineer | $126,120 | $63,342 |
| Veterinarian | $114,660 | $55,944 |
| Mechanical engineer | $99,330 | $45,901 |
| Physical therapist | $99,310 | $45,889 |
| Financial analyst | $98,420 | $45,304 |
| Occupational therapist | $97,290 | $44,560 |
| Data scientist | $97,090 | $44,429 |
| Lineman | $96,360 | $43,949 |
| Project manager | $94,660 | $42,832 |
| Civil engineer | $92,750 | $41,575 |
Salary pages in Missouri, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Missouri
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $242,630 |
| Physicians, All Other | $227,980 |
| Dentists, General | $204,960 |
| Chief Executives | $172,320 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $171,180 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $159,460 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $157,800 |
| Financial Managers | $143,460 |
| Pharmacists | $137,610 |
| Physician Assistants | $135,130 |
| Lawyers | $133,450 |
| Human Resources Managers | $130,680 |
| Marketing Managers | $130,550 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $130,490 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $129,930 |
Living in Missouri
Missouri against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Missouri | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $254,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,067 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 24 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Missouri with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Missouri?
Prices in Missouri are 9% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,035 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,393 a month.
Does Missouri have a state income tax?
Yes. Missouri's income tax rate is up to 4.7%. On a typical wage of $47,800, a single filer pays about $1,267 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Missouri?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $34,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Missouri earns $47,800 and keeps $10,183 after those costs.
Where in Missouri does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Missouri cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Jefferson City ($13,698 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Kansas City ($7,381).
What jobs pay the most in Missouri?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Missouri goes to Nurse Anesthetists ($242,630); Physicians, All Other ($227,980); Dentists, General ($204,960) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate