Moving to Washington from Missouri

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Missouri to Washington, you would find that Washington is 22.5% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $94,027 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $94,027

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 16.5% more

Groceries

pay 12.3% more

Transportation

pay 10.6% more

Housing

pay 31.9% more

Childcare

pay 48.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 34.1% 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 Washington compared to Missouri.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
453
WA
349
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MO
2070
WA
2819

Missouri generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MO
8.9%
WA
6.1%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MO
37.5%
WA
31.1%

Washington 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
WA
$519,800
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MO
$996
WA
$1,682

Missouri performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MO
88.3%
WA
93.1%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MO
24 min
WA
27 min

Missouri generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington 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%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MO
$56,344
WA
$87,768

Washington 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
WA
79.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MO
22%
WA
26%

Washington 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

OlympiaRain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60°/41°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsColumbiaOlympia
Jan–Mar47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun76°/55°F (24°/13°C)65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep86°/65°F (30°/18°C)76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec55°/36°F (13°/2°C)51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
MonthColumbiaOlympia
Jan40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Missouri?

On average Washington is around 25% pricier than Missouri, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

Budget about $23,507 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Washington safe?

Missouri generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Missouri?

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

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

The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.

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