Midwest · Updated October 2026
Missouri in numbers, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states: rent, pay, taxes, safety, disaster risk and weather, plus the cities worth a look.
Two-bedroom rent
$1,250/mo
U.S. average $1,759
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
Rent vs. income
21.0%
of median household income for a year of two-bedroom rent
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 ÷ 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
State income tax
4.7%
top marginal rate, single filer
State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
Property tax
0.79%
effective rate on owner-occupied homes
Everyday costs
95.6
index, housing excluded (U.S. = 100)
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
Natural disaster risk
39th
percentile, FEMA expected annual loss (lower is safer)
Where Missouri stands out: the 9th lowest everyday costs among the 50 states.
What to weigh: the 8th highest violent crime and the 9th lowest median household income.
Overall, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.9% of it in state and local income, property and sales tax here, the 22nd lowest of the 50 states.
Average afternoon highs and overnight lows in St. Louis (St Louis Lambert Intl Airport station), NOAA 1991–2020 normals.
| Season | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 43°F | 27°F |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 67°F | 47°F |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 88°F | 69°F |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 69°F | 49°F |
$1,349/mo two-bedroom · $1,104 one-bedroom (St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area)
St. Louis has free world-class museums, a huge park, extraordinary housing value and a strong neighbourhood culture. It also has a sharply divided metro and violent-crime rates concentrated in specific areas — location matters enormously here.
$1,546/mo two-bedroom · $1,366 one-bedroom (Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area)
Kansas City is barbecue, jazz history and fountains, with a surprisingly good arts scene and very cheap housing. Spread out and car-dependent, with hot summers, cold winters and a strong sports culture.
$1,076/mo two-bedroom · $959 one-bedroom (Columbia, MO HUD Metro FMR Area)
Columbia is the University of Missouri's town, midway between St. Louis and Kansas City — young, affordable, with good healthcare and a walkable downtown district.
$1,113/mo two-bedroom · $913 one-bedroom (Springfield, MO HUD Metro FMR Area)
Springfield is southwest Missouri's regional hub near the Ozarks, with very low housing costs, several colleges and a conservative, family-oriented culture.
$1,126/mo two-bedroom · $861 one-bedroom (Taney County, MO)
Branson is a live-entertainment and theme-park town in the Ozarks aimed largely at family and retiree tourism. Very cheap, very seasonal, and culturally quite specific.
$1,153/mo two-bedroom · $910 one-bedroom (Joplin, MO HUD Metro FMR Area)
Joplin is a southwest Missouri city near the Kansas and Oklahoma lines, rebuilt after the devastating 2011 tornado. Very cheap housing and a practical economy; severe weather remains a real risk.
$1,101/mo two-bedroom · $857 one-bedroom (St. Joseph, MO-KS MSA)
St. Joseph is a historic Missouri River city north of Kansas City, the starting point of the Pony Express. Very affordable, with grand old houses, animal-health employers and a modest downtown.
$962/mo two-bedroom · $735 one-bedroom (Jefferson City, MO HUD Metro FMR Area)
Jefferson City is Missouri's capital, on bluffs above the Missouri River, with state government as the main employer. Small, stable and cheap, with the Katy Trail nearby.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Closest on Locustep’s match factors: cost, housing, taxes, safety, jobs, schools, healthcare, outdoors, disaster risk and climate.
Ranks compare the 50 states. Locustep updates these figures when the agencies publish new data.
Yes. Missouri’s top marginal income-tax rate for a single filer is 4.7% (Missouri tax law, 2026). Counting property and sales tax too, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 6.9% of income in state and local taxes (Locustep estimate, 2026).
A typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,250 a month and a one-bedroom for about $1,035, using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents averaged across the state by population. That is $509 less than the U.S. average of $1,759. Rent in the bigger metros can be well above the state figure.
Leaving housing aside, everyday prices (goods and services other than housing) index at 95.6 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA, 2024), and the median home value indexes at 70.5 against the U.S. median (Census, 2024). Two-bedroom rent takes 21.0% of the state’s median household income of $71,589.
Missouri recorded 462 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 (FBI), the 8th highest rate of the 50 states. Crime varies a lot between and within cities, so check the specific area you’re considering.
The main hazards are tornadoes and flooding. On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Missouri’s expected yearly loss from natural hazards sits at the 39th percentile nationally (lower is safer). Risk differs sharply by county, so look up the county too.
Places people most often weigh include St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield and Branson. Each has a different cost, climate and character; Locustep compares their rent, disaster risk, weather and pay side by side.