Cost of Living Data Series
4th Quarter 2009


In the fourth quarter of 2009, Missouri had the 9th 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 for the fourth quarter of 2009 was 91.2.

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 State 4thQ 2009

 

Cost of Living US Map 4th Quarter 2009


Composite Cost of Living (Scaled)
4th Quarter 2009

Cost of Living US Map 4th Quarter 2009

4th Quarter 2009 Cost of Living Figures
      GROCERY       HEALTH MISC
STATE
RANK
INDEX
ITEMS
HOUSING
UTILITIES
TRANSPORTATION
CARE
SERVICES
Oklahoma 1 88.2 95.2 75.9 86.2 93.1 95.6 94.5
Tennessee 2 89.0 92.3 77.2 90.5 92.1 92.3 96.3
Arkansas 3 90.0 94.3 78.5 94.3 92.3 90.9 96.4
Kentucky 4 90.5 88.9 80.2 99.5 98.5 93.5 94.4
Kansas 5 90.9 91.6 85.9 84.3 94.4 91.6 95.6
Nebraska 6 90.9 96.2 84.6 98.7 94.6 89.0 90.9
South Dakota 7 90.9 92.4 83.3 83.9 88.8 99.3 99.2
Texas 8 91.0 90.1 80.1 100.7 95.8 96.4 95.6
Missouri 9 91.2 94.3 80.6 91.8 92.4 95.4 98.5
Georgia 10 91.3 101.8 79.6 88.2 95.8 98.4 96.0
Alabama 11 91.9 99.2 79.1 99.1 95.0 88.3 97.6
Idaho 12 92.0 94.9 80.8 96.8 100.9 97.7 95.4
Indiana 13 92.1 91.8 83.4 100.8 100.1 97.1 93.6
Mississippi 14 92.6 95.3 80.7 105.0 95.7 94.6 97.1
Ohio 15 93.2 97.3 79.3 111.1 101.3 95.0 95.4
Iowa 16 93.4 92.6 88.4 89.4 99.3 95.4 97.1
West Virginia 17 93.7 92.8 93.5 91.3 102.6 94.9 91.5
North Dakota 18 94.6 101.6 87.0 74.7 100.8 99.0 101.9
Wisconsin 19 96.6 94.1 90.0 109.0 102.1 105.2 96.5
Illinois 20 96.6 97.1 90.0 102.4 103.6 100.6 97.5
Utah 21 96.6 106.0 90.4 78.0 98.6 91.8 104.2
North Carolina 22 96.7 103.8 88.2 97.4 96.6 104.4 100.5
Michigan 23 96.9 97.6 94.4 116.2 98.0 93.2 92.8
Louisiana 24 97.2 100.4 93.9 90.6 98.3 97.0 100.4
South Carolina 25 97.2 103.8 89.1 99.2 95.8 100.0 101.5
Wyoming 26 99.1 103.0 106.5 88.6 94.8 93.6 96.3
Virginia 27 99.1 98.0 101.7 96.5 93.7 98.2 100.2
New Mexico 28 100.1 99.8 101.7 92.4 101.7 100.3 100.6
Pennsylvania 29 100.5 99.7 96.8 112.8 99.6 93.9 101.7
Florida 30 101.7 103.6 102.6 98.3 105.5 100.9 100.0
Delaware 31 102.3 107.3 93.8 121.4 99.8 108.0 102.1
Montana 32 102.8 114.8 101.4 91.6 100.1 103.4 103.6
Minnesota 33 103.0 102.9 98.1 111.7 100.8 105.8 105.1
Arizona 34 104.4 104.7 116.6 94.9 101.4 98.2 98.1
Washington 35 104.5 104.3 107.6 85.8 111.6 116.5 103.5
Colorado 36 105.2 105.1 119.1 91.2 98.7 103.1 99.7
Nevada 37 105.5 103.9 113.9 94.1 106.7 106.3 101.5
Oregon 38 114.1 103.6 132.9 91.1 111.4 112.9 109.5
Maine 39 114.6 104.9 136.9 98.4 104.7 105.9 108.1
New Hampshire 40 117.6 107.1 116.4 128.2 99.9 124.9 125.4
Massachusetts 41 118.5 110.0 126.3 144.3 100.7 115.6 113.9
Rhode Island 42 119.2 110.2 122.0 125.8 101.5 118.7 124.8
Vermont 43 119.6 107.3 137.3 121.4 102.8 103.5 116.4
New York 44 125.5 108.4 159.3 126.5 109.0 107.5 110.1
Maryland 45 125.7 108.5 172.9 119.7 106.2 101.7 102.0
Connecticut 46 125.7 115.0 152.6 129.3 107.8 111.3 113.1
New Jersey 47 126.9 111.3 164.4 122.9 101.0 108.0 112.4
Alaska 48 127.8 132.3 136.4 129.9 127.9 136.0 116.4
California 49 133.6 114.6 190.5 99.7 116.6 110.3 109.7
District of Columbia 50 139.0 111.2 221.9 101.0 105.8 103.8 103.9
Hawaii 51 166.7 157.8 250.0 140.0 128.3 117.8 123.9

Each of the participating Missouri cities had a composite index below the national average in the fourth quarter of 2009. These cities ranged from an index of 87.1 in Joplin to 95.9 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 2009
    GROCERY       HEALTH MISC
CITY INDEX ITEMS HOUSING UTILITIES TRANSPORTATION CARE SERVICES
Joplin MO 87.1 82.8 75.3 102.9 83.7 83.9 96.5
Springfield MO 89.0 97.3 79.8 79.0 92.3 94.7 95.3
St. Louis MO-IL 89.7 99.5 78.2 86.0 94.1 98.5 94.4
Jefferson City MO 89.9 92.3 74.2 94.6 94.8 92.2 99.6
MISSOURI 91.2 94.3 80.6 91.8 92.4 95.4 98.5
Columbia MO 91.3 95.1 80.6 93.0 91.4 97.8 98.1
St. Joseph MO 95.8 98.4 87.5 97.8 92.8 103.7 101.6
Kansas City MO-KS 95.9 94.6 88.7 89.6 97.6 96.7 104.2
U.S. AVERAGE 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

 

City Chart for Cost of Living 4th Quarter 2009

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