Moving to Missouri from North Carolina

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Carolina to Missouri — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from North Carolina to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 6.2% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $64,524 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from North Carolina to Missouri.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $64,524

To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.1% less

Groceries

pay 11.5% less

Transportation

pay 11.9% more

Housing

pay 12.5% less

Childcare

pay 20.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.7% 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

How North Carolina and Missouri stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
379
MO
453
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NC
1998
MO
2070

North Carolina performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NC
9.6%
MO
8.9%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NC
33.6%
MO
37.5%

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

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NC
$259,400
MO
$215,600
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NC
$1,162
MO
$996

Missouri performs significantly better than North Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NC
88.7%
MO
88.3%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NC
25 min
MO
24 min

North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Missouri leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NC
3.4%
MO
3.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NC
$59,308
MO
$56,344

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NC
76.1 yrs
MO
75.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NC
22%
MO
22%

North Carolina performs 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.

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Asheville Columbia
Jan–Mar 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Asheville Columbia
Jan 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?

Generally yes: Missouri runs about 14% cheaper than North Carolina on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Missouri?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,131 in Missouri for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Missouri safe?

North Carolina performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Missouri compared to North Carolina?

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

What's the weather like in Missouri compared to North Carolina?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.

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