Cost of Living Data Series
4th Quarter 2012


In the fourth quarter of 2012, Missouri had the 10th lowest cost of living in the United States. In general, the most expensive areas to live are New England, Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas continue to be the Midwest and Southern States.

MERIC derives the cost of living index for each state by averaging the indices of participating cities and metropolitan areas in that state. Missouri's cost of living through the fourth quarter of 2012 was 93.0, up from the third quarter 2012 index of 92.4.

Cities across the nation participate in ACCRA's survey on a volunteer basis. Price information in the survey is governed by ACCRA collection guidelines which strive for uniformity.

Cost of Living Bar Chart of Top US States

 

Composite Cost of Living Map of United States


Composite Cost of Living (Scaled)
4th Quarter 2012
Composite Scaled Map of US

Fourth Quarter 2012 Cost of Living
State Rank Index  Grocery Housing Utilities Transportation Heath  Misc
Oklahoma 1 90.5 93.2 81.3 92.5 95.2 94.2 94.3
Tennessee 2 90.6 95.2 79.3 89.7 93.7 92.7 97.0
Kentucky 3 91.0 92.6 79.6 95.5 96.3 95.0 95.8
Arkansas 4 91.5 95.0 83.6 92.6 94.2 89.7 95.7
Indiana 5 91.7 94.9 81.5 87.7 98.3 98.5 96.5
Kansas 6 91.9 91.2 84.2 90.8 95.8 93.8 97.4
Texas 7 92.0 90.4 84.7 95.3 95.7 96.4 95.7
Nebraska 8 92.0 96.4 83.0 97.9 96.3 93.7 94.1
Idaho 9 92.1 95.5 79.6 94.8 97.9 96.5 97.5
Missouri 10 93.0 96.8 80.8 103.9 96.4 96.4 96.5
Alabama 11 93.2 99.7 80.0 103.2 94.7 88.4 98.4
Utah 12 93.2 98.2 81.9 87.3 100.4 92.2 99.8
Mississippi 13 93.2 95.0 82.0 105.3 95.0 91.0 97.7
West Virginia 14 93.3 92.4 88.6 100.6 102.2 99.3 91.1
Georgia 15 93.7 100.2 82.3 97.7 98.2 93.8 97.5
Ohio 16 93.9 98.7 83.6 97.6 99.0 96.1 97.1
Iowa 17 94.4 95.0 91.3 90.2 98.6 96.7 96.1
Nevada 18 95.3 101.6 88.1 83.5 106.6 102.7 97.0
Michigan 19 95.3 94.3 87.9 103.9 101.2 95.8 96.9
Louisiana 20 95.6 96.6 94.4 87.8 96.3 97.0 98.3
South Carolina 21 96.1 104.2 82.9 105.4 96.1 98.8 100.3
North Carolina 22 96.3 103.7 85.9 97.6 96.7 102.0 100.5
Virginia 23 96.3 96.8 94.0 97.3 94.9 99.0 97.9
Illinois 24 96.5 97.1 89.8 101.5 104.4 100.0 96.9
New Mexico 25 97.4 97.6 96.6 91.2 97.3 95.5 100.3
South Dakota 26 98.0 101.7 95.3 93.6 93.6 99.3 101.7
Wisconsin 27 98.8 98.6 91.4 104.0 100.1 109.8 101.5
Florida 28 99.0 103.7 92.6 99.7 104.3 100.4 99.9
North Dakota 29 100.0 103.9 102.6 80.2 99.2 104.3 102.1
Montana 30 100.2 108.6 96.8 93.8 97.1 105.3 102.1
Colorado 31 100.6 99.7 105.3 93.1 101.1 102.4 99.0
Pennsylvania 32 101.6 103.0 98.3 111.9 101.3 95.9 101.4
Wyoming 33 101.7 104.7 109.9 96.2 90.3 100.7 100.0
Minnesota 34 102.0 102.5 98.1 102.8 101.5 106.8 104.4
Arizona 35 102.5 103.4 108.7 96.4 103.1 99.6 99.0
Washington 36 102.5 102.0 103.0 89.6 106.1 112.9 103.7
Oregon 37 107.0 98.8 116.9 98.2 112.8 114.8 101.8
Delaware 38 108.2 110.5 100.8 122.8 102.0 100.6 112.2
Maine 39 110.9 105.1 129.2 102.6 101.6 113.4 103.7
New Hampshire 40 119.7 100.3 126.8 125.7 104.0 114.2 126.8
Vermont 41 119.9 109.0 143.8 129.0 109.2 104.6 107.8
Massachusetts 42 122.9 111.2 142.5 120.7 110.3 119.0 117.5
Maryland 43 123.1 113.7 176.1 109.4 104.6 100.6 97.2
Rhode Island 44 123.5 111.1 131.9 127.3 105.2 116.3 128.4
California 45 125.6 110.4 176.3 107.6 109.7 106.3 104.2
New Jersey 46 129.8 107.5 175.7 133.9 104.7 106.8 112.3
New York 47 130.4 111.8 181.8 115.6 109.7 107.5 111.0
Connecticut 48 132.7 117.6 165.8 121.0 117.4 119.4 122.8
Alaska 49 134.5 136.0 147.7 168.4 115.1 140.2 118.6
District of Columbia 50 144.8 113.5 257.0 105.5 106.4 101.0 97.3
Hawaii 51 167.1 158.3 249.6 167.7 127.7 116.5 123.7
Grand Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

All of the participating Missouri cities had a composite index below the national average in the fourth quarter of 2012. These cities ranged from an index of 89.8 in Joplin to 99.6 in Kansas City. In general, the major metropolitan areas are the most expensive areas in Missouri to reside.

Cost of Living Indices for Participating Missouri Cities 4th Quarter 2012
Metro Index Grocery Housing Utilities Transportation Health Misc.
Joplin MO 89.8 93.0 76.9 119.0 97.0 95.0 86.5
Springfield MO 90.0 97.4 78.3 92.7 96.2 96.1 92.5
St. Louis MO-IL 91.6 96.9 74.3 107.4 98.1 95.9 95.7
Jefferson City MO 92.9 96.5 80.1 97.5 93.2 95.8 100.1
Missouri 93.0 96.8 80.8 103.9 96.4 96.4 96.5
Columbia MO 94.4 96.3 82.0 100.8 93.7 99.3 101.5
Kansas City MO-KS 99.6 100.7 93.4 105.7 100.5 96.7 102.4
US Average 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

Cost of Living Bar Chart of Top US States

*ACCRA has changed its name to C2ER. See http://www.c2er.org/ for details and more data products.