Springfield, MO vs St. Louis, MO
Moving from Springfield to St. Louis? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($272,938 → $276,878 median home) and taxes.
Springfield vs St. Louis at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Springfield, MO, you'd need about $106,580 in St. Louis, MO (+$6,580).
Livability — Springfield, MO: 69 · St. Louis, MO: 65 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,205 sqft in Springfield vs 3,161 sqft in St. Louis ($156 vs $158 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Springfield, MO | St. Louis, MO | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,252 | $17,412 | +$2,160 |
| Groceries | $4,830 | $4,934 | +$104 |
| Transportation | $3,390 | $3,390 | +$0 |
| Utilities | $1,512 | $1,512 | +$0 |
| Insurance | $2,400 | $2,400 | +$0 |
| Taxes | $9,116 | $10,488 | +$1,372 |
| Total | $36,500 | $40,136 | +$3,636 |
Side by side
| Metric | Springfield, MO | St. Louis, MO |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 89.1 | 95.0 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.91% | 4.35% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.8% | 0.3% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 55 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.07 | $5.40 |
| Median home price | $272,938 | $276,878 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.7× | 3.7× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.4% | 2.9% |
| Price per square foot | $156 | $158 |
| Median rent | $1,271 | $1,451 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.3% | 9.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 4.80% | 4.80% |
| Property tax rate | 0.72% | 1.26% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,400 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 2.55% | 2.55% |
| Avg commute (min) | 23 | 25 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,400 | $2,400 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $750 | $750 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $400 | $400 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Violent crime /100k | 490 | 490 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 89 |
| Avg winter low °F | 22 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |