State relocation profile · Federal data
Missouri
Missouri sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 90.8
- Cost index (US=100)
- $972
- 2BR rent / mo
- $67,599
- Median salary
- 51.1
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Missouri ranks #25 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (51.1/100, D), with its strongest marks in rent and cost of living.
- #25 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 51.1
- Life Score · D
- 90.8
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $67,599
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: safety (12/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Missouri ranks #25 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 90.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $972/mo, median salary $67,599; Life Score 51.1/100 (D), strongest in rent and cost of living.
Signature: BEA RPP 90.8 ranks #13 of 51 states for lower prices (cheaper third of the corpus).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 90.8 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $972/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $67,599.
Composite Life Score 51.1/100 (D) sits mid-pack (#25 of 51).
Metro book is dense (8 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet MO · Missouri 51.1/100 · D · #25 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-RENT · BOOK-MOST
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-MID #25/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.2 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 90.8
- LEAD-RENT Lead · rent
- BOOK-MOST 6/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Georgia ( -0.2 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Missouri
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Missouri on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Missouri Life Score breakdown
Missouri composites to 51.1/100 (D) across 6 of 7 dimensions (missing dims omitted; remaining weights renormalized); corpus place #25 of 51.
Missouri - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Rent
Rent
88 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
76 /100
- Environment
Environment
74 /100
- Wages 32
Wages
32 /100
- Schools 20
Schools
20 /100
- Safety 12
Safety
12 /100
What this shows Missouri's strongest dimensions are rent and cost of living; its weakest among scored dims is safety at 12/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 6 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Missouri on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Missouri on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Missouri
Explore detailed relocation data for 8 metropolitan areas in Missouri. Missouri contains 8 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Cape Girardeau, Columbia, Jefferson City and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Cape Girardeau metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Missouri cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Missouri wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.