Moving to Missouri from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to Missouri? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 14.8% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $78,084 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and Missouri.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,084
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.1% more
Groceries
pay 12.0% more
Transportation
pay 41.5% more
Housing
pay 3.0% more
Childcare
pay 24.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.0% more
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 Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi performs better than Missouri 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 performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi performs better than Missouri across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Missouri performs significantly better than Mississippi across all infrastructure metrics.
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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
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 Mississippi 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 | Jackson | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Mississippi?
On average Missouri is around 4% pricier than Mississippi, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Budget about $19,521 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?
Mississippi performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Mississippi?
Missouri performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
