Jefferson City cost of living
Prices in the Jefferson City, MO metro area run at 88.0 against a national average of 100, ranking it #335 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 62.1.
What drives the number
Prices in Jefferson City run at 88.0 where the national average is 100, so about 12 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #335 of 387 metro areas. Against Missouri as a whole it is 2.8 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 62.1 against goods at 94.2 and other services at 85.5, so the overall figure of 88.0 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive. Goods at 94.2 are themselves 5.8 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 12 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Jefferson City is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 2,370 | $74,940 | $85,159 | $102,950 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,920 | $38,050 | $43,239 | $46,290 |
| Cashiers | 1,810 | $27,610 | $31,375 | $31,190 |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,570 | $38,530 | $43,784 | $43,630 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,450 | $75,930 | $86,284 | $93,600 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,350 | $30,820 | $35,023 | $37,090 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,330 | $28,910 | $32,852 | $34,580 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,300 | $27,420 | $31,159 | $30,160 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 88.0.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 95.1 | 79.0 | #167 |
| Kansas City | 92.5 | 86.6 | #230 |
| Columbia | 89.4 | 69.2 | #301 |
| Springfield | 88.6 | 65.6 | #321 |
| St. Joseph | 86.4 | 55.4 | #362 |
| Cape Girardeau | 86.1 | 56.4 | #363 |
Jefferson City: common questions
Is Jefferson City expensive?
Prices are 12% below the national average, a parity of 88.0 where the country is 100. It ranks #335 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Missouri as a whole it is 2.8 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Jefferson City?
The median worker there earns $45,440, which buys what $51,636 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 62.1 against goods at 94.2. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.