Moving to Missouri from Arkansas

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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

See full cost of living breakdown

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?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
610
MO
453
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
2195
MO
2070

Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AR
8.6%
MO
8.9%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AR
38.3%
MO
37.5%

Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arkansas leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AR
$175,300
MO
$215,600
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AR
$914
MO
$996

Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Missouri leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AR
84.9%
MO
88.3%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AR
22 min
MO
24 min

Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Missouri leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
4.2%
MO
3.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$47,319
MO
$56,344

Missouri performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AR
73.8 yrs
MO
75.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AR
16%
MO
22%

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.

Little RockRain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72°/53°F

Avg. annual high / low

ColumbiaRain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66°/46°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsLittle RockColumbia
Jan–Mar56°/38°F (13°/3°C)47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun80°/61°F (27°/16°C)76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep89°/70°F (32°/21°C)86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec62°/44°F (17°/7°C)55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
MonthLittle RockColumbia
Jan49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C)42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service 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.

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