Moving to Missouri from Arkansas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arkansas to Missouri? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arkansas to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 7.9% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $76,058 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arkansas and Missouri.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,058
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.5% less
Groceries
pay 15.4% more
Transportation
pay 57.3% more
Housing
pay 4.5% less
Childcare
pay 2.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Missouri compared to Arkansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Missouri leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Missouri leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Little Rock | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Little Rock | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Arkansas?
Missouri and Arkansas are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Budget about $19,014 for 3 months in Missouri (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Missouri safe?
Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Arkansas?
Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Arkansas?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.
