In the 3rd quarter of 2000, Missouri had the 7th lowest cost of living in the United States (of the 46 states and the District of Columbia surveyed by ACCRA). In general, the most expensive areas to live are Alaska, New England, California, and Nevada. The least expensive areas continue to be the Midwest and Southern States.
Missouri rose one spot in the rankings since the 2nd quarter, when the state had the 8th lowest cost of living. Missouri's index dropped to 93.4 from the previous quarter's 94.2. This is due mostly to declines in Housing and Utilities cost categories.
For the first three quarters of 2000, Missouri's average COL index is 93.9, making Missouri the 7th least expensive state to live in.
Missouri's larger metropolitan areas had COL indices that were close to the national average in the 3rd quarter, but no city had an index over 100. In general, however, the metropolitan areas are the most expensive areas in Missouri to reside.
Chambers of Commerce in cities across the nation participate in ACCRA's survey on a volunteer basis. No cities in HI, ME, NJ and RI participate.
| Cost of Living Indices by State 3rd Quarter 2000 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Composite | Rank | Grocery Items | Housing | Utilities | Transportation | Health Care | Miscellaneous |
| AK | 125.7 | 46 | 126.4 | 122.2 | 158.0 | 104.0 | 158.4 | 122.2 |
| AL | 93.9 | 8 | 92.7 | 88.0 | 96.7 | 96.3 | 88.8 | 98.9 |
| AR | 90.4 | 1 | 92.3 | 83.5 | 97.8 | 91.2 | 87.3 | 93.9 |
| AZ | 102.1 | 31 | 104.5 | 108.1 | 106.6 | 103.6 | 111.3 | 92.8 |
| CA | 114.3 | 42 | 113.8 | 123.5 | 219.3 | 109.1 | 123.8 | 105.7 |
| CO | 106.2 | 37 | 108.0 | 120.0 | 83.4 | 104.9 | 110.4 | 98.7 |
| CT | 122.6 | 45 | 110.5 | 148.2 | 154.0 | 107.5 | 113.7 | 105.2 |
| DC | 114.7 | 43 | 112.6 | 129.0 | 97.1 | 109.3 | 114.7 | 109.4 |
| DE | 107.4 | 39 | 108.4 | 106.9 | 123.9 | 99.2 | 108.1 | 105.7 |
| FL | 100.7 | 28 | 101.7 | 158.9 | 107.2 | 102.7 | 102.4 | 100.6 |
| GA | 96.8 | 13 | 99.1 | 92.4 | 97.2 | 96.4 | 92.5 | 99.9 |
| IA | 97.2 | 15 | 92.4 | 91.6 | 114.2 | 102.2 | 94.6 | 99.2 |
| ID | 98.9 | 20 | 98.2 | 98.5 | 85.1 | 96.7 | 102.1 | 103.2 |
| IL | 101.1 | 30 | 97.1 | 101.5 | 105.3 | 103.6 | 94.7 | 101.7 |
| IN | 94.7 | 9 | 94.1 | 94.8 | 92.9 | 95.6 | 94.9 | 95.2 |
| KS | 96.9 | 14 | 94.6 | 95.9 | 95.1 | 99.1 | 91.6 | 99.4 |
| KY | 95.1 | 11 | 98.3 | 91.4 | 90.2 | 94.0 | 91.6 | 98.8 |
| LA | 97.7 | 17 | 94.3 | 97.4 | 106.8 | 100.5 | 91.3 | 97.6 |
| MA | 132.5 | 47 | 116.6 | 171.2 | 134.0 | 111.6 | 130.0 | 113.8 |
| MD | 98.4 | 18 | 95.6 | 96.1 | 114.3 | 94.0 | 91.5 | 100.3 |
| MI | 105.5 | 36 | 106.9 | 114.0 | 92.0 | 111.9 | 97.8 | 99.9 |
| MN | 104.3 | 34 | 100.0 | 101.3 | 107.2 | 104.1 | 118.9 | 106.4 |
| MO | 93.4 | 7 | 93.5 | 88.0 | 88.9 | 95.3 | 94.7 | 98.3 |
| MS | 92.1 | 3 | 86.1 | 93.1 | 88.2 | 98.6 | 87.8 | 94.2 |
| MT | 100.0 | 24 | 107.4 | 95.7 | 92.5 | 97.6 | 100.5 | 102.6 |
| NC | 100.2 | 26 | 100.1 | 100.9 | 103.4 | 95.7 | 96.6 | 100.9 |
| ND | 94.9 | 10 | 95.4 | 91.2 | 92.0 | 96.5 | 94.3 | 97.9 |
| NE | 95.4 | 12 | 97.8 | 90.8 | 93.7 | 99.5 | 90.9 | 98.1 |
| NH | 103.4 | 33 | 101.9 | 97.8 | 145.2 | 109.5 | 114.1 | 95.4 |
| NM | 100.0 | 23 | 102.7 | 106.0 | 82.2 | 97.9 | 102.7 | 98.1 |
| NV | 107.4 | 40 | 114.3 | 108.4 | 90.0 | 115.1 | 124.9 | 102.5 |
| NY | 116.3 | 44 | 110.3 | 134.7 | 128.1 | 101.6 | 105.3 | 106.8 |
| OH | 100.1 | 25 | 93.9 | 95.2 | 120.0 | 98.3 | 95.7 | 98.9 |
| OK | 92.4 | 4 | 93.9 | 83.3 | 93.7 | 93.2 | 93.5 | 98.7 |
| OR | 105.3 | 35 | 119.0 | 109.6 | 85.8 | 105.1 | 120.7 | 105.2 |
| PA | 106.3 | 38 | 99.2 | 113.8 | 115.1 | 105.6 | 94.8 | 103.9 |
| SC | 98.5 | 19 | 102.8 | 96.6 | 101.0 | 92.3 | 95.6 | 99.8 |
| SD | 100.4 | 27 | 97.6 | 96.7 | 112.3 | 105.8 | 95.1 | 101.0 |
| TN | 93.1 | 5 | 96.4 | 91.1 | 86.2 | 94.3 | 85.2 | 95.8 |
| TX | 93.2 | 6 | 89.1 | 88.5 | 93.7 | 99.3 | 97.4 | 97.0 |
| UT | 97.3 | 16 | 108.9 | 90.2 | 76.9 | 118.9 | 93.7 | 102.0 |
| VA | 99.3 | 21 | 98.2 | 98.0 | 110.0 | 105.7 | 95.7 | 97.3 |
| VT | 108.9 | 41 | 107.8 | 105.3 | 148.0 | 100.8 | 102.6 | 106.5 |
| WA | 102.8 | 32 | 105.1 | 107.1 | 72.5 | 102.0 | 123.6 | 102.5 |
| WI | 99.8 | 22 | 96.7 | 99.6 | 102.5 | 105.1 | 101.5 | 99.0 |
| WV | 92.0 | 2 | 92.6 | 86.0 | 91.3 | 105.5 | 88.9 | 93.5 |
| WY | 100.9 | 29 | 110.8 | 100.6 | 97.5 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 97.6 |
| 2000 Cost of Living Estimates | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STATE | 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | Annual Average | Rank | ||
| AK | 126.7 | 124.8 | 125.7 | 125.7 | 47 | ||
| AL | 95.4 | 94.5 | 93.9 | 94.6 | 9 | ||
| AR | 92.2 | 91.5 | 90.4 | 91.4 | 1 | ||
| AZ | 104.9 | 103.6 | 102.1 | 103.5 | 33 | ||
| CA | 107.3 | 116.7 | 114.3 | 112.8 | 41 | ||
| CO | 102.9 | 103.1 | 106.2 | 104.1 | 34 | ||
| CT | 122.1 | 121.7 | 122.6 | 122.1 | 45 | ||
| DC | 120.1 | -- | 114.7 | 117.4 | 44 | ||
| DE | 110.6 | 107.6 | 107.4 | 108.5 | 40 | ||
| FL | 100.9 | 100.7 | 100.7 | 100.8 | 28 | ||
| GA | 97.3 | 96.3 | 96.8 | 96.8 | 13 | ||
| IA | 98.0 | 95.9 | 97.2 | 97.0 | 15 | ||
| ID | 96.8 | 98.4 | 98.9 | 98.0 | 18 | ||
| IL | 102.3 | 100.2 | 101.1 | 101.2 | 30 | ||
| IN | 95.4 | 95.8 | 94.7 | 95.3 | 11 | ||
| KS | 97.5 | 97.7 | 96.9 | 97.4 | 16 | ||
| KY | 94.6 | 94.0 | 95.1 | 94.6 | 8 | ||
| LA | 99.1 | 97.3 | 97.7 | 98.1 | 19 | ||
| MA | 124.4 | 119.6 | 132.5 | 125.5 | 46 | ||
| MD | 96.4 | 95.9 | 98.4 | 96.9 | 14 | ||
| MI | 104.1 | 104.6 | 105.5 | 104.7 | 36 | ||
| MN | 102.9 | 102.9 | 104.3 | 103.4 | 32 | ||
| MO | 94.2 | 94.2 | 93.4 | 93.9 | 7 | ||
| MS | 95.0 | 93.8 | 92.1 | 93.6 | 4 | ||
| MT | 100.5 | 102.5 | 100.0 | 101.0 | 29 | ||
| NC | 100.6 | 99.3 | 100.2 | 100.0 | 26 | ||
| ND | 97.0 | 95.5 | 94.9 | 95.8 | 12 | ||
| NE | 95.6 | 94.6 | 95.4 | 95.2 | 10 | ||
| NJ | 109.5 | 139.0 | 103.4 | 117.3 | 43 | ||
| NM | 100.9 | 100.6 | 100.0 | 100.5 | 27 | ||
| NV | 109.5 | 106.9 | 107.4 | 107.9 | 38 | ||
| NY | 101.6 | 124.5 | 116.3 | 114.1 | 42 | ||
| OH | 98.6 | 98.4 | 100.1 | 99.0 | 21 | ||
| OK | 92.3 | 91.9 | 92.4 | 92.2 | 2 | ||
| OR | 107.6 | 104.9 | 105.3 | 105.9 | 37 | ||
| PA | 104.4 | 101.9 | 106.3 | 104.2 | 35 | ||
| SC | 100.3 | 99.5 | 98.5 | 99.5 | 22 | ||
| SD | 97.9 | 96.9 | 100.4 | 98.4 | 20 | ||
| TN | 94.6 | 93.6 | 93.1 | 93.8 | 5 | ||
| TX | 93.5 | 93.7 | 93.2 | 93.5 | 3 | ||
| UT | 99.6 | 97.1 | 97.3 | 98.0 | 17 | ||
| VA | 102.2 | 97.7 | 99.3 | 99.7 | 23 | ||
| VT | 107.3 | 108.0 | 108.9 | 108.1 | 39 | ||
| WA | 103.1 | 102.1 | 102.8 | 102.7 | 31 | ||
| WI | 101.0 | 98.8 | 99.8 | 99.9 | 25 | ||
| WV | 96.0 | 93.8 | 92.0 | 93.9 | 6 | ||
| WY | 99.4 | 99.3 | 100.9 | 99.9 | 24 | ||
| Cost of Living Indices for Selected Missouri Cities 3rd Quarter 2000 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Composite | Grocery Items | Housing | Utilities | Transportation | Health Care | Miscellaneous |
| Columbia | 99.6 | 98.7 | 100.2 | 89.8 | 101.3 | 93.7 | 102.2 |
| Joplin | 89.1 | 89.1 | 84.4 | 83.4 | 85.4 | 101.7 | 93.6 |
| Kansas City | 99.3 | 99.3 | 92.5 | 108.5 | 112 | 101.5 | 98.8 |
| Nevada | 86.9 | 83.1 | 82.5 | 90.7 | 79.7 | 84.2 | 94.2 |
| Poplar Bluff | 90.3 | 101.2 | 82.5 | 65.6 | 90.9 | 80 | 99.1 |
| springfield | 93.7 | 96.3 | 84.8 | 86.7 | 97.5 | 96.2 | 100.2 |
| St. Joseph | 91.2 | 85.1 | 86.2 | 88.2 | 95.5 | 96.1 | 97 |
| St. Louis | 97.2 | 94.9 | 90.8 | 98.2 | 100.4 | 103.8 | 101.5 |
| STATE AVERAGE | 93.4 | 93.5 | 88.0 | 88.9 | 95.3 | 94.7 | 98.3 |
| US AVERAGE | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
