Moving to Missouri from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Missouri? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 4.8% cheaper than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $69,428 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 56°F in Madison, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Missouri.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,428
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.8% less
Groceries
pay 2.8% more
Transportation
pay 23.7% more
Housing
pay 1.6% less
Childcare
pay 39.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.1% less
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 Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri generally does better on what about housing?, though Wisconsin leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin performs better than Missouri 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
Wisconsin performs better than Missouri across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Wisconsin 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madison | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Wisconsin?
On average Missouri is about 7% less expensive than Wisconsin, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Budget about $17,357 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?
Wisconsin performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
