Moving to Missouri from Pennsylvania

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Pennsylvania to Missouri — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Pennsylvania to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 8.6% cheaper than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly $65,070 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Pennsylvania to Missouri.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → $65,070

To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 4.6% less

Groceries

pay 11.4% less

Transportation

pay 9.1% more

Housing

pay 10.7% less

Childcare

pay 27.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.0% 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Pennsylvania to Missouri.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

264

453

Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

1567

2070

Pennsylvania performs 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

5.5%

8.9%

Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

34.4%

37.5%

Pennsylvania performs 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

$240,500

$215,600

Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

$1,162

$996

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

88.8%

88.3%

Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

27 min

24 min

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

3.7%

3.3%

GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

$61,506

$56,344

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

76.8 yrs

75.1 yrs

Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

24%

22%

Pennsylvania performs better than Missouri across all family life metrics.

See full quality of life comparison

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.

HarrisburgRain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)

61°/42°F(16.3°/5.8°C)

Avg. annual high / low

ColumbiaRain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)

66°/46°F(18.8°/7.8°C)

Avg. annual high / low

Months	Harrisburg	Columbia
Jan–Mar	42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)	47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun	71°/50°F (22°/10°C)	76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep	81°/61°F (27°/16°C)	86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec	52°/34°F (11°/1°C)	55°/36°F (13°/2°C)

View all months

Month	Harrisburg	Columbia
Jan	36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C)	40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb	40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C)	45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar	49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C)	56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr	61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)	67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May	72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C)	75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun	81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C)	85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul	85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C)	90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug	83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C)	88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep	75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C)	80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct	63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C)	68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov	52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C)	55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec	40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C)	42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Pennsylvania?

Yes — Missouri is on average about 13% cheaper than Pennsylvania. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Missouri?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,268 in Missouri on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Missouri safe?

Pennsylvania performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Pennsylvania?

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

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

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