Moving to Pennsylvania from Missouri

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Missouri to Pennsylvania? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Missouri to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 13.3% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $86,446 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Missouri and Pennsylvania.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $86,446

To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.8% more

Groceries

pay 14.3% more

Transportation

pay 0.6% more

Housing

pay 14.4% more

Childcare

pay 41.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.8% more

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 Pennsylvania compared to Missouri.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
453
PA
264
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
2070
PA
1567

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MO
8.9%
PA
5.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MO
37.5%
PA
34.4%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MO
$215,600
PA
$240,500
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MO
$996
PA
$1,162

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MO
88.3%
PA
88.8%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MO
24 min
PA
27 min

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MO
3.3%
PA
3.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MO
$56,344
PA
$61,506

Pennsylvania generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MO
22%
PA
24%

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Missouri 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

HarrisburgRain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsColumbiaHarrisburg
Jan–Mar47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun76°/55°F (24°/13°C)71°/50°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep86°/65°F (30°/18°C)81°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Oct–Dec55°/36°F (13°/2°C)52°/34°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
MonthColumbiaHarrisburg
Jan40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)
Feb45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)
Mar56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)
Apr67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)
May75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)
Jun85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)
Jul90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)
Aug88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)
Sep80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)
Oct68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)
Nov55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)
Dec42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Pennsylvania than Missouri?

On average Pennsylvania is around 15% pricier than Missouri, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?

Budget about $21,612 for 3 months in Pennsylvania (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Pennsylvania safe?

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Missouri?

Pennsylvania performs significantly better than Missouri across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Missouri?

The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.

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