You don’t need to be an Ozarks money launderer to enjoy the comforts of living in Missouri – the cost of living in most cities is surprisingly low.
In fact, the cheapest places to live in Missouri are a testament to the Show-Me State’s commitment to affordability.
How did we determine the cheapest places to live in Missouri? Our methodology is simple. We used Saturday Night Science to look at factors like median home price, average income, and overall cost of living. We then compare these factors across all cities in the state to come up with our top ten list of the most affordable places to live in Missouri.
Now sit back with some Kansas City BBQ and join us as we explore the cheapest places to live in Missouri.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Missouri
Missouri Real Estate Roundtable Opinion
“The most affordable cities listed in Missouri reflect a wide variety of opportunities for home buyers. They run the gambit from rural to urban, congested to sparsely populated, and a distinctly different list of city services and amenities.
Investing in a home within a highly affordable area can be a wise decision if you anticipate positive growth. However, suppose the area is experiencing a prolonged decline. In that case, channeling your financial resources and future into an area with greater growth potential that will also provide the desired lifestyle is likely more prudent.”
What is the cheapest place to live in Missouri? The cheapest place to live in Missouri is Nevada based on the cost of housing adjusted for incomes and cost of living.
Missouri’s most affordable places have you covered whether you’re looking for a job in agriculture, aerospace, tech, or even beer – hello, Anheuser-Busch.
Check out some more reading about Missouri and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri For 2026
/10
Population: 7,925
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $42,813
Median Home Price: $160,100
Median Rent: $720
Nevada, MO is an affordable place to live in Missouri thanks to a median home value of $160,100 and a median rent of just $720. Additionally, Nevada’s median income of $42,813 is in line with the cost of living, making it easier for families to make ends meet.
But affordability isn’t the only thing that makes Nevada a great place to live. The city has a population of 7,925 and is home to Cottey College, a well-regarded women’s college. Its council-manager model of government ensures that public services are well-run and responsive to community needs. All in all, Nevada ranks as one of the most livable and affordable places in Missouri.
More on Nevada: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,196
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $52,500
Median Home Price: $111,347
Median Rent: $651
Kennett, Missouri is one of the most affordable places to live in the state. With a median home value of $111,347 and median rent of $651, it’s easy to see why.
the city is located in the southeast corner of Missouri, just 4 miles east of Arkansas and 20 miles from the Mississippi River. With a population of 10,196, Kennett has a small-town feel while still offering plenty of amenities. Plus, with a median income of $52,500, residents can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle without breaking the bank.
More on Kennett: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,123
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $44,265
Median Home Price: $97,156
Median Rent: $1,074
Berkeley is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,978 at the 2010 census. Portions of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport are within the city limits.
More on Berkeley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,466
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $61,642
Median Home Price: $175,280
Median Rent: $680
Located an hour north of Columbia, Macon clocks in as our fourth least expensive city in Missouri. Macon makes the cut by being an absolute godsend for renters. Macon has the lowest median rent you’ll see on this list, at $680/month. That’s less than half of the average rent in Missouri. And with residents earning a median income of $61,642, Maconites have one of the best rent to income ratios in the state. On the flip side, Macon’s median home price of $175,280 puts Macon as the least affordable place to buy a home on this list.
More on Macon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 15,270
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $48,359
Median Home Price: $228,788
Median Rent: $809
Lebanon is a city in Laclede County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,474 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Laclede County. The Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Laclede County.
More on Lebanon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,918
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $38,984
Median Home Price: $73,368
Median Rent: $961
Jennings, located in the northern part of St. Louis County, MO, stands out for its affordability due to the Show Me State’s lowest home values at $73,368.
These home prices and reduced living costs make it a budget-friendly bastion. Its overall cost of living is 6.7% lower than the state average, making Jennings a frugal fortress for those planting their stakes in Missouri soil.
More on Jennings: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 9,873
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $49,390
Median Home Price: $180,956
Median Rent: $902
Monett is a city in Monett Township in Barry County and Pierce Township in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,873 at the 2010 census.
More on Monett: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,891
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $51,701
Median Home Price: $160,389
Median Rent: $765
Dexter is becoming an increasingly popular destination for families and individuals seeking a high quality of life at an affordable price. With a median home value of just $160,389 and median rent at $765, it’s no wonder why many people choose to call Dexter their home. T
Dexter offers plenty of outdoor activities and small-town charm, including parks, local festivals, and unique shops.
More on Dexter: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,397
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $49,848
Median Home Price: $176,040
Median Rent: $823
Located 35 miles southwest of Springfield, Aurora rounds out our list of cheapest cities in Missouri. At a median price of $176,040, Aurora has the 22nd least expensive homes in Missouri, and the cheapest you’ll see on this list. Coupled with a median income of $49,848, Aurora has the third best home price to income ratio on this list.
On the flip side, Aurora’s affordability drops off precipitously for renters. In any case, thanks to the Sunset Drive-In Theatre, you’ll never have to worry about a cheap option for date night in Aurora.
More on Aurora: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,959
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 84
Median Income: $59,556
Median Home Price: $233,566
Median Rent: $722
Richmond comes in as the tenth cheapest city in Missouri thanks to being an equally affordable place for renters and home-buyers. When you’re in Richmond, you’ll know you’re in the state with the lowest rent in America, because the median rent is a mere $722. The median income in Richmond is $59,556 and the median home price is $233,566, making the city one of the least affordable places for buyers on this list. In any case, you’ll never run short of fun things to do for free in Richmond, which has over 60 acres of parks. Not too shabby for a city of only 5,959 people.
Richmond is located 40 miles east of Kansas City.
More on Richmond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Cheapest places to live in Missouri FAQs
The county in Missouri with the lowest cost of living is Adair County. The average living wage in Adair County is $77,540 according to MIT data. Adair County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Missouri as a whole. Childcare costs $7,243 a year in Adair County for two children compared to the Missouri average of $12,674. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $7,944 per year in Adair County compared to $10,297 on average in Missouri.
The cost of living in Missouri is 3.7% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Missouri is $86,410 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Missouri household is $57,290.
The cheapest housing market in Missouri is Jennings. The average home value in Jennings is $62,500, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Missouri is $163,600, almost 2.6 times higher than Jennings.
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The county in Missouri with the lowest cost of living is Adair County. The average living wage in Adair County is $77,540 according to MIT data. Adair County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Missouri as a whole. Childcare costs $7,243 a year in Adair County for two children compared to the Missouri average of $12,674. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $7,944 per year in Adair County compared to $10,297 on average in Missouri.
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The cost of living in Missouri is 3.7% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Missouri is $86,410 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Missouri household is $57,290.
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The cheapest housing market in Missouri is Jennings. The average home value in Jennings is $62,500, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Missouri is $163,600, almost 2.6 times higher than Jennings.
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Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Show Me State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Missouri boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Missouri using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Missouri to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 131 places in Missouri that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Missouri with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Nevada.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Missouri.
Missouri Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Missouri for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Missouri.
The cheapest cities in Missouri are Nevada, Kennett, Berkeley, Macon, Lebanon, Jennings, Monett, Dexter, Aurora, and Richmond.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Missouri according to the data:
- Ladue
- Town and Country
- Clayton
For more Missouri reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 7,925 | 81 | $42,813 | $160,100 | $720 |
| 2 | Kennett | 10,196 | 82 | $52,500 | $111,347 | $651 |
| 3 | Berkeley | 8,123 | 83 | $44,265 | $97,156 | $1,074 |
| 4 | Macon | 5,466 | 83 | $61,642 | $175,280 | $680 |
| 5 | Lebanon | 15,270 | 84 | $48,359 | $228,788 | $809 |
| 6 | Jennings | 12,918 | 84 | $38,984 | $73,368 | $961 |
| 7 | Monett | 9,873 | 84 | $49,390 | $180,956 | $902 |
| 8 | Dexter | 7,891 | 84 | $51,701 | $160,389 | $765 |
| 9 | Aurora | 7,397 | 84 | $49,848 | $176,040 | $823 |
| 10 | Richmond | 5,959 | 84 | $59,556 | $233,566 | $722 |
| 11 | Carthage | 15,574 | 85 | $51,328 | $234,176 | $975 |
| 12 | West Plains | 12,441 | 85 | $44,002 | $221,521 | $810 |
| 13 | Mexico | 11,477 | 85 | $50,873 | $180,700 | $686 |
| 14 | Bellefontaine Neighbors | 10,498 | 85 | $49,170 | $102,414 | $1,151 |
| 15 | Clinton | 9,065 | 85 | $51,250 | $170,925 | $702 |
| 16 | Park Hills | 8,678 | 85 | $52,563 | $153,551 | $790 |
| 17 | St. John | 6,527 | 85 | $53,755 | $137,115 | $1,159 |
| 18 | Trenton | 5,536 | 85 | $50,015 | $110,674 | $703 |
| 19 | Caruthersville | 5,326 | 85 | $34,652 | $77,791 | $801 |
| 20 | Springfield | 169,954 | 86 | $49,311 | $242,870 | $964 |
| 21 | Hannibal | 16,771 | 86 | $53,721 | $172,131 | $805 |
| 22 | Marshall | 13,739 | 86 | $54,437 | $181,309 | $761 |
| 23 | Neosho | 13,224 | 86 | $57,891 | $227,219 | $745 |
| 24 | Chillicothe | 8,923 | 86 | $54,493 | $185,819 | $782 |
| 25 | Bonne Terre | 6,683 | 86 | $46,179 | $201,860 | $641 |
| 26 | Sullivan | 6,310 | 86 | $63,370 | $203,783 | $919 |
| 27 | Joplin | 52,593 | 87 | $52,097 | $200,471 | $962 |
| 28 | Grandview | 26,527 | 87 | $53,447 | $216,734 | $1,035 |
| 29 | Sedalia | 22,003 | 87 | $50,990 | $182,164 | $877 |
| 30 | Ferguson | 18,213 | 87 | $47,524 | $116,377 | $1,119 |
| 31 | Poplar Bluff | 16,254 | 87 | $41,941 | $170,053 | $760 |
| 32 | Moberly | 13,526 | 87 | $44,145 | $158,147 | $774 |
| 33 | St. Ann | 12,811 | 87 | $52,323 | $157,309 | $976 |
| 34 | De Soto | 6,470 | 87 | $52,500 | $245,845 | $809 |
| 35 | Florissant | 51,773 | 88 | $65,318 | $191,523 | $1,288 |
| 36 | Raytown | 29,445 | 88 | $68,840 | $205,242 | $1,218 |
| 37 | Hazelwood | 25,114 | 88 | $55,908 | $157,629 | $996 |
| 38 | Boonville | 7,689 | 88 | $56,429 | $192,609 | $767 |
| 39 | St. Louis | 288,512 | 89 | $56,160 | $181,927 | $997 |
| 40 | Independence | 121,740 | 89 | $60,339 | $208,157 | $1,109 |
| 41 | Sikeston | 16,320 | 89 | $58,915 | $158,610 | $891 |
| 42 | Overland | 15,695 | 89 | $61,773 | $150,450 | $1,112 |
| 43 | Webb City | 13,221 | 89 | $65,469 | $222,929 | $1,008 |
| 44 | Maryville | 10,428 | 89 | $53,352 | $222,766 | $808 |
| 45 | Marshfield | 7,696 | 89 | $67,642 | $253,421 | $710 |
| 46 | Savannah | 5,053 | 89 | $62,535 | $266,126 | $852 |
| 47 | St. Joseph | 71,236 | 90 | $57,956 | $180,019 | $898 |
| 48 | Rolla | 20,287 | 90 | $46,204 | $237,604 | $789 |
| 49 | Republic | 19,829 | 90 | $65,729 | $268,263 | $1,123 |
| 50 | Kirksville | 17,563 | 90 | $50,071 | $150,864 | $775 |
| 51 | Excelsior Springs | 10,484 | 90 | $72,609 | $223,588 | $975 |
| 52 | Warrenton | 9,066 | 90 | $61,031 | $299,572 | $964 |
| 53 | Black Jack | 6,589 | 90 | $78,331 | $217,915 | $1,166 |
| 54 | Pevely | 6,055 | 90 | $56,000 | $273,663 | $875 |
| 55 | Warrensburg | 19,582 | 91 | $57,067 | $266,467 | $921 |
| 56 | Farmington | 18,282 | 91 | $53,729 | $254,728 | $855 |
| 57 | Union | 12,781 | 91 | $73,435 | $257,223 | $858 |
| 58 | Fulton | 12,617 | 91 | $51,429 | $245,451 | $836 |
| 59 | Bolivar | 11,170 | 91 | $49,622 | $252,895 | $812 |
| 60 | Harrisonville | 9,970 | 91 | $62,473 | $294,225 | $944 |
| 61 | Perryville | 8,536 | 91 | $51,897 | $222,681 | $944 |
| 62 | Cameron | 8,519 | 91 | $61,791 | $243,891 | $1,063 |
| 63 | Pacific | 7,475 | 91 | $62,860 | $245,537 | $906 |
| 64 | Jefferson City | 42,488 | 92 | $66,371 | $272,648 | $802 |
| 65 | Cape Girardeau | 40,344 | 92 | $55,658 | $219,807 | $876 |
| 66 | Odessa | 5,620 | 92 | $100,022 | $256,903 | $1,063 |
| 67 | Arnold | 20,956 | 93 | $78,370 | $273,572 | $1,112 |
| 68 | Festus | 13,201 | 93 | $73,532 | $299,934 | $922 |
| 69 | Oak Grove | 8,538 | 93 | $75,102 | $291,502 | $1,044 |
| 70 | Battlefield | 6,165 | 93 | $94,542 | $303,752 | $1,042 |
| 71 | Ste. Genevieve | 5,010 | 93 | $48,097 | $196,909 | $771 |
| 72 | Gladstone | 27,207 | 94 | $79,271 | $266,727 | $1,088 |
| 73 | Washington | 15,130 | 94 | $79,173 | $306,588 | $827 |
| 74 | Branson | 12,817 | 94 | $51,978 | $248,360 | $961 |
| 75 | Willard | 6,488 | 94 | $84,600 | $272,134 | $984 |
| 76 | Peculiar | 5,958 | 94 | $94,519 | $357,230 | $1,275 |
| 77 | Wright City | 5,240 | 94 | $80,152 | $307,151 | $894 |
| 78 | Belton | 25,008 | 95 | $69,226 | $270,040 | $1,290 |
| 79 | Nixa | 24,836 | 95 | $83,385 | $318,319 | $1,083 |
| 80 | Troy | 13,947 | 95 | $79,012 | $311,432 | $1,033 |
| 81 | Carl Junction | 8,339 | 95 | $82,879 | $250,863 | $1,307 |
| 82 | Maplewood | 8,156 | 95 | $65,125 | $267,091 | $970 |
| 83 | St. Robert | 5,356 | 95 | $62,641 | $231,889 | $1,087 |
| 84 | Ozark | 22,417 | 96 | $74,182 | $316,346 | $1,097 |
| 85 | Jackson | 15,659 | 96 | $77,105 | $271,918 | $900 |
| 86 | Blue Springs | 59,965 | 97 | $88,920 | $307,946 | $1,277 |
| 87 | St. Peters | 59,092 | 97 | $91,637 | $318,220 | $1,321 |
| 88 | Waynesville | 5,442 | 97 | $56,836 | $242,454 | $1,152 |
| 89 | Kansas City | 510,612 | 98 | $69,166 | $250,207 | $1,238 |
| 90 | Maryland Heights | 27,880 | 98 | $86,436 | $258,828 | $1,312 |
| 91 | Liberty | 30,689 | 99 | $88,542 | $324,253 | $1,160 |
| 92 | Grain Valley | 16,271 | 99 | $89,649 | $326,296 | $1,398 |
| 93 | Bridgeton | 11,369 | 99 | $72,005 | $273,069 | $1,172 |
| 94 | Smithville | 10,705 | 99 | $101,165 | $371,403 | $1,323 |
| 95 | Pleasant Hill | 8,847 | 100 | $95,602 | $364,998 | $1,174 |
| 96 | Valley Park | 6,795 | 100 | $67,898 | $295,375 | $1,443 |
| 97 | Columbia | 128,548 | 101 | $66,498 | $321,090 | $1,097 |
| 98 | Shrewsbury | 6,316 | 101 | $80,757 | $285,843 | $1,215 |
| 99 | Lee’s Summit | 103,656 | 102 | $102,531 | $389,363 | $1,422 |
| 100 | St. Charles | 71,508 | 102 | $85,937 | $344,642 | $1,251 |