Cost of living in St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph is 85, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. Joseph is 0.8x lower than the national average.
St. Joseph ranks as the #29 cheapest in Missouri out of 142.
St. Joseph ranks as the #511 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in St. Joseph is $178,249.
The median income in St. Joseph is $55,578.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. Joseph has an overall cost of living index of 85, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, St. Joseph has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Missouri's index of 88.
The standard of living in St. Joseph ranks as #29 most affordable out of the 142 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies St. Joseph ranks as the #113 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in St. Joseph, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. Joseph. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. Joseph is 90.
The Groceries index in St. Joseph is 95.
The Health index in St. Joseph is 84.
The Housing index in St. Joseph is 68.
The Transportation index in St. Joseph is 90.
The Utilities index in St. Joseph is 109.
| Living Expense | St. Joseph | Missouri | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 85 | 88 | 100 | |
| Services | 90 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 95 | 96 | 100 | |
| Health | 84 | 91 | 100 | |
| Housing | 68 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 90 | 90 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 109 | 99 | 100 | |
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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in St. Joseph is $178,249.
The Median Rent in St. Joseph is $884.
The Median Income in St. Joseph is $55,578.
The Home Value To Income in St. Joseph is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. Joseph is 0.19x.
| Statistic | St. Joseph | Missouri | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $178,249 | $257,929 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $884 | $996 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $55,578 | $68,920 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 3.2x | 3.7x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.17x | 0.21x | 
| Item | St. Joseph | Missouri | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.42 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $12.03 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $15.57 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $20.3 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $33.43 | $45.56 | 
| Item | St. Joseph | Missouri | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.31 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.62 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $5.24 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $11.48 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $9.39 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.7 | $3.7 | 
| Item | St. Joseph | Missouri | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $96.5 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $90.2 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $100.33 | $113.29 | 
| Item | St. Joseph | Missouri | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.17 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $49.17 | $59.92 | 
| Item | St. Joseph | Missouri | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $217.1 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $199.94 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around St. Joseph. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Liberty, MO has a cost of living index of 97, 1.1x St. Joseph.
Gladstone, MO has a cost of living index of 91, 1.1x St. Joseph.
Kearney, MO has a cost of living index of 101, 1.2x St. Joseph.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. Joseph | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty, MO | 30,446 | 97 | 1.1x | 
| Gladstone, MO | 27,069 | 91 | 1.1x | 
| Kearney, MO | 10,696 | 101 | 1.2x | 
| Maryville, MO | 10,556 | 89 | 1.0x | 
| Smithville, MO | 10,552 | 96 | 1.1x | 
| Excelsior Springs, MO | 10,502 | 90 | 1.1x | 
| Parkville, MO | 8,022 | 123 | 1.4x | 
| King, NC | 7,345 | 97 | 1.1x | 
| Basehor, KS | 7,229 | 104 | 1.2x | 
| Savannah, MO | 5,062 | 87 | 1.0x |