Charleston, MO Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Charleston, MO Summary

Cost of living in Charleston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Charleston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Charleston is 74, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Charleston is 0.7x lower than the national average.

  • Charleston ranks as the #1 cheapest in Missouri out of 143.

  • Charleston ranks as the #23 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Charleston is $76,500.

  • The median income in Charleston is $32,813.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
74
Charleston's Overall Cost Of Living
0.7x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Charleston, MO?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Charleston has an overall cost of living index of 74, which is 0.7x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Missouri, Charleston has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than Missouri's index of 89.

The standard of living in Charleston ranks as #1 most affordable out of the 143 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Charleston ranks as the #142 most expensive place in the Show Me State.

For more reading on life in Charleston, check out:

1 out of 143
In Missouri
23 out of 6,412
In America

Charleston Cost Of Living Vs. Missouri

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Charleston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Charleston is 91.

  • The Groceries index in Charleston is 88.

  • The Health index in Charleston is 83.

  • The Housing index in Charleston is 44.

  • The Transportation index in Charleston is 89.

  • The Utilities index in Charleston is 95.

Living Expense Charleston Missouri National Average
Overall 74 89 100
Services 91 92 100
Groceries 88 96 100
Health 83 88 100
Housing 44 79 100
Transportation 89 95 100
Utilities 95 95 100
For more reading on cost of living around Missouri, check out:
Charleston Cost of Living Vs. MO

Charleston, MO Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Charleston is $76,500.

  • The Median Rent in Charleston is $649.

  • The Median Income in Charleston is $32,813.

  • The Home Value To Income in Charleston is 2.3x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Charleston is 0.24x.

Statistic Charleston Missouri United States
Median Home Value $76,500 $171,800 $244,900
Median Rent $649 $886 $1,163
Median Income $32,813 $61,043 $69,021
Home Value To Income 2.3x 2.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.24x 0.17x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Charleston, MO
$76,500
Median Home Value
$649
Median Rent
$32,813
Median Income

Charleston, MO Costs By Category

Detailed Charleston Services Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Charleston Missouri
Shampoo $0.91 $1.06
Movie $8.86 $10.68
Bowling $17.17 $14.67
Haircut $20.31 $18.62
Beauty Salon $37.5 $39.05

Detailed Charleston Groceries Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Charleston Missouri
Ground Beef $4.12 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.11 $1.39
Milk $1.8 $2.05
Potatoes $2.96 $3.29
Pizza $9.82 $10.62
Beer $9.68 $9.38
Toothpaste $1.68 $2.34

Detailed Charleston Health Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Charleston Missouri
Optometrist $96.67 $108.57
Doctor $130.0 $116.17
Dentist $66.83 $99.13

Detailed Charleston Transportation Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Charleston Missouri
Gasoline $1.99 $2.22
Tire Balancing $42.83 $50.07

Detailed Charleston Utilities Costs Vs. Missouri

Item Charleston Missouri
All Electricity $154.05 $167.67
Phone $184.96 $175.64

Charleston SnackAbility

4
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
3/10
Housing
4
Affordability
7
Diversity
8.5
Safety
5
Amenities
8
Education
3
Commute
9

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Charleston

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Charleston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Wilson, NC has a cost of living index of 92, 1.2x Charleston.

  • Cape Girardeau, MO has a cost of living index of 86, 1.2x Charleston.

  • Paducah, KY has a cost of living index of 88, 1.2x Charleston.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Charleston
Wilson, NC 47,914 92 1.2x
Cape Girardeau, MO 39,415 86 1.2x
Paducah, KY 26,248 88 1.2x
Jackson, MO 15,272 92 1.2x
Metropolis, IL 6,032 84 1.1x

Articles About Missouri

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