2026 editionMidwestPop. 6,270,541Capital Jefferson City24th state, admitted 1821Cook PVI R+10
Is Missouri a Good Place to Live? Missouri Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Missouri ranks #34 of 50 with a composite score of 51 and a C+ grade, strongest in affordability (#14) and weakest in environment (#46). The median household earns $71,589 (12% below the national median), homes typically cost $267,879 (27% below the national average), and violent crime is 418 per 100,000 (28% above the national average).
A modest income goes further in Missouri than almost anywhere with two real metros: a family of four at $75,000 comes out $5,670 above the national median. What newcomers get wrong is the crime figure of 418 per hundred thousand, which describes three city cores, not the suburbs where most arrivals settle.
Missouri by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Missouri's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Missouri overview
Missouri scores above the national average in 4 of 11 categories and ranks #10 of 12 states in the Midwest, behind 9 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is typical home value ($267,879, 27% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is violent crime rate (418, 28% above the national average). With 1 bottom-10 finish and no top-10 category, its case rests on price rather than performance.
Where does Missouri rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Missouri is top 10 in 0 and bottom 10 in 1.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 38.3 | #39 of 50 | C | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4% and median household income is $71,589. |
| Safety | 58.1 | #40 of 50 | C | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 417.8 violent crimes and 1,644.1 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 44.1 | #36 of 50 | C | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 75.2 years, 34.6% of adults have obesity, and 7.7% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 59.7 | #27 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 270 in NAEP math and 255 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 89.8%. |
| Affordability | 79.8 | #14 of 50 | B+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $267,879 (3.7x median income); cost of living index 90.8 (100 = US); center-based infant care $15,080 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 65.4 | #15 of 50 | B+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $2,080 of debt per resident, has 80% of pensions funded, and holds a AAA credit rating. |
| Growth | 39.0 | #27 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.43% last year; Census net domestic migration is +2.2 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 46.1 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 24 minutes, 1% of workers use public transit, and 11.8% work from home. |
| Livability | 31.2 | #29 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.7 restaurants and 0.028 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.111 bars and 0.08 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 15.0 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 6% | 29.4 | 5.4% of its land is public, with 2.55 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 25.3 | #46 of 50 | D | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 42, 16% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 44.5. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Missouri's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Missouri bulges toward affordability and dips at environment.
How expensive is Missouri?
Missouri's cost of living index is 90.8 against a national baseline of 100, 9% below the national average and #13 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $267,879 (27% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $73,656, $2,067 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Joplin is cheapest (index 85.7) and University City priciest (95.1).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #38 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #13 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $2,067 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Missouri housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Missouri | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$6,088 | −$11,758 | #19 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$35,531 | +$31,418 | #14 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$40,673 | +$35,970 | #11 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Missouri?
Missouri's tax mix is high sales tax, with income and property taxes in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 7.83% of income, 0.9 points below the national average (#12 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.91% of home value (#28), and combined sales tax averages 8.44% (#39).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 65.4 out of 100, #15 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Missouri safe?
Missouri reports 418 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 28% above the national average and #41 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,644 per 100,000, 7% above the national average (#34 of 50). The safety score is 58.1 out of 100, #40 of 50; among tracked cities, O'Fallon has the lowest violent crime rate.
Missouri vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Missouri
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Fallon | 93,801 | 97 | 530 |
| Lee's Summit | 103,656 | 112 | 1,953 |
| St. Peters | 59,092 | 172 | 762 |
| St. Charles | 71,508 | 184 | 823 |
| Blue Springs | 59,965 | 228 | 1,717 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Missouri cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Missouri?
Missouri's unemployment rate is 4%, in line with the national average and #28 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $71,589, 12% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.9% in the latest year (#27 of 50) and GDP per capita is $56,365, 12% below the national average. The population is growing 0.43% a year, 0.1 points below the national average. The economy score is 38.3 out of 100, #39 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Missouri, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $247,380 | $227,590 | Kansas City |
| Lawyers | $156,512 | $143,991 | St. Louis |
| Software Developers | $144,801 | $133,217 | St. Louis |
| General & Operations Managers | $111,455 | $102,539 | St. Louis |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $110,375 | $101,545 | St. Louis |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Missouri's schools and healthcare?
Missouri's education score is 59.7 out of 100, #27 of 50. Eighth graders average 270 in NAEP math (#29 of 50) and 255 in reading (#32 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 89.8%, 4.2 points above the national average (#7 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Fallon | 95.4% | 12.9 | $13,460 |
| Wentzville | 95.4% | 14.3 | $12,497 |
| Blue Springs | 95% | 15.2 | $12,950 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Missouri is #36 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 75.2 years, 1.7 years below the national average. 34.6% of adults have obesity (#29 of 50) and 7.7% of residents have no health insurance (#28 of 50). The health score is 44.1 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Missouri, and who is leaving?
Missouri's flows are close to even: 72,481 households moved in and 69,687 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of +2,794, or +0.4 per 1,000 residents (#23 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $65,825 against $71,544 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +8.0K people (139.9K in, 131.9K out, ±13.2K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Kansas12,138 · $68,985
- 2Illinois8,668 · $63,680
- 3Texas5,785 · $66,978
- 4California4,443 · $72,872
- 5Florida4,238 · $74,931
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Missouri?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Missouri cities we track are Chesterfield (70.5), Wildwood (67.6), and O'Fallon (67). Joplin is the cheapest (cost index 85.7), Wildwood the richest ($161,060), and Wentzville the fastest growing (+2% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Missouri cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Missouri
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | O'Fallon | 97 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Joplin | cost of living index 85.7 |
| Most walkable | University City | walkability 14.4 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Columbia | median AQI 37 (county) |
| Best schools | O'Fallon | 95.4% graduation rate |
| Richest | Wildwood | $161,060 |
Among the 20 Missouri cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Missouri
Old, dense, divided: the city shrinks and carries the crime, the county holds Clayton, Chesterfield and Wildwood, some of the highest incomes and quietest streets in the Midwest.
O'Fallon, St Peters, Wentzville: the growth side of the metro, newer subdivisions across the Missouri River, top graduation rates and long commutes back into the city.
Logistics and health IT downtown, Lee's Summit and Blue Springs for the schools, Independence older and cheaper, and the Kansas suburbs a mile west across State Line Road.
Columbia's university and hospitals plus Jefferson City's state payroll; steady, moderately priced, and the halfway point between the two metros on the interstate.
Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau, St Joseph: the cheapest housing in the state, lake and hill country to the south, thinner hospitals and schools, and Springfield's high crime rate.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chesterfield | A+ | 70.5 | 49,574 | $133,037 | 120 | 95.1 |
| 2 | Wildwood | A+ | 67.6 | 35,133 | $161,060 | — | 95.1 |
| 3 | O'Fallon | A | 67.0 | 93,801 | $110,443 | 97 | 95.1 |
| 4 | Wentzville | A | 66.0 | 47,061 | $112,394 | 139 | 95.1 |
| 5 | Lee's Summit | A | 65.0 | 103,656 | $102,531 | 112 | 92.5 |
| 6 | St. Peters | A | 63.9 | 59,092 | $91,637 | 172 | 95.1 |
| 7 | University City | A | 63.2 | 34,685 | $80,694 | 319 | 95.1 |
| 8 | St. Charles | A | 63.0 | 71,508 | $85,937 | 184 | 95.1 |
| 9 | Oakville | B+ | 61.4 | 35,333 | $106,362 | — | 95.1 |
| 10 | Blue Springs | B+ | 61.0 | 59,965 | $88,920 | 228 | 92.5 |
| 11 | Columbia | B | 57.8 | 128,548 | $66,498 | 359 | 89.4 |
| 12 | Florissant | B | 57.2 | 51,773 | $65,318 | 251 | 95.1 |
| 13 | Jefferson City | B | 56.4 | 42,488 | $66,371 | 348 | 88 |
| 14 | Independence | C | 50.8 | 121,740 | $60,339 | 560 | 92.5 |
| 15 | Kansas City | C | 50.3 | 510,612 | $69,166 | 1,376 | 92.5 |
| 16 | Cape Girardeau | C | 49.4 | 40,344 | $55,658 | 467 | 86.1 |
| 17 | St. Joseph | D | 47.8 | 71,236 | $57,956 | 500 | 86.4 |
| 18 | Joplin | D | 47.5 | 52,593 | $52,097 | 559 | 85.7 |
| 19 | Springfield | D | 46.4 | 169,954 | $49,311 | 1,233 | 88.6 |
| 20 | St. Louis | D | 45.0 | 288,512 | $56,160 | 1,230 | 95.1 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Missouri cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Missouri for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chesterfield | 68.9 | 63.8 | 92.6 | 60.7 |
| 2 | O'Fallon | 68.1 | 70.1 | 96.8 | 69.4 |
| 3 | Lee's Summit | 67.9 | 63.4 | 85.5 | 70.5 |
| 4 | Wentzville | 67.4 | 65.6 | 92.6 | 70.3 |
| 5 | Blue Springs | 66.3 | 64.2 | 79.9 | 75.6 |
Who is Missouri best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Missouri cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Missouri compare with its neighbors?
Missouri ranks #34. Among its bordering states, Nebraska ranks highest (#10) and Arkansas lowest (#48). Illinois is the most similar on the composite score and Nebraska the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | #34 | 51.0 | $71,589 | $267,879 | 90.8 | 418 | 7.83% | |
| Nebraska | #10 | 71.1 | $76,376 | $280,673 | 90.1 | 218 | 8.78% | Compare → |
| Iowa | #14 | 69.2 | $75,501 | $239,547 | 87.8 | 234 | 9.23% | Compare → |
| Tennessee | #24 | 57.1 | $71,997 | $334,108 | 91.9 | 492 | 6.38% | Compare → |
| Kansas | #27 | 55.1 | $75,514 | $249,603 | 90.1 | 457 | 9.33% | Compare → |
| Illinois | #39 | 47.6 | $83,211 | $297,573 | 100 | 251 | 10.22% | Compare → |
| Kentucky | #41 | 44.8 | $64,526 | $232,577 | 90.2 | 212 | 8.93% | Compare → |
| Oklahoma | #43 | 43.0 | $66,148 | $223,261 | 87.8 | 408 | 7.01% | Compare → |
| Arkansas | #48 | 40.1 | $62,106 | $227,264 | 86.9 | 532 | 8.61% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Missouri city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Missouri numbers say when read together.
Affordability is Missouri's strongest suit
Missouri is a #34 state overall but #14 of 50 for affordability, 20 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 79.8 against a national average of 65.2. Fiscal Health (#15) is next. Affordability carries 10% of the composite.
Environment is where Missouri falls furthest behind
Missouri ranks #46 of 50 for environment, 12 places below its overall #34, with a score of 25.3 against a national average of 42.5. At 4% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Typical home value is 27% below the national average
Missouri's typical home value is $267,879, 27% below the national average of $368,697, #13 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The largest gap in the other direction is violent crime rate: 418, 28% above the national average. Source: Zillow Research ZHVI, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net +2,794 households on 142,168 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Missouri ranks #23 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $5,719 less in average income than those leaving ($65,825 against $71,544), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount grows. Kansas is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $6,088 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#19 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $35,531 surplus; a retiree couple at a $40,673 surplus. Infant childcare runs $15,080 a year, 4% below the national average.
Missouri sits 5th among its 9-state neighborhood
4 of Missouri's 8 bordering states rank above its #34; the closest match on the composite is Illinois. Median income among them runs from $62,106 in Arkansas to $83,211 in Illinois; Missouri is at $71,589.
Frequently asked questions about living in Missouri
Is Missouri a good place to live?
Missouri ranks #34 of 50 with a C+ grade, #10 of 12 in the Midwest. It is bottom 10 in environment. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 3 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, and tax burden) and trails on income, violent crime, and unemployment. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Missouri rank among US states?
Missouri ranks #34 of 50 overall with a composite score of 51 (grade C+), and #10 of 12 states in the Midwest. Its best category rank is #14 (affordability) and its worst #46 (environment). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C+ means rank 27–34.
Is it expensive to live in Missouri?
At #13 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Missouri is 9% below the national average: its index is 90.8 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $267,879 (27% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $73,656 against a median household income of $71,589. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $6,088 shortfall after all costs, #19 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Missouri have a state income tax?
Yes. Missouri's top state income tax rate is 5.7% (#28 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 7.83% of income, 0.9 points below the national average. Property tax is 0.91% of home value and combined sales tax 8.44%.
What is the crime rate in Missouri?
Missouri reports 418 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 28% above the national average and #41 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,644 property crimes per 100,000, 7% above the national average (#34). Its safety score is 58.1 out of 100, #40 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Missouri have good schools?
Missouri is #27 of 50 for education (score 59.7 out of 100). Its public school students average 270 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#29) and 255 in eighth-grade reading (#32), and the high school graduation rate is 89.8%, 4.2 points above the national average (#7). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, O'Fallon has the highest graduation rate at 95.4%.
Is Missouri gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Missouri netted +2,794 households in the latest IRS release on 72,481 arrivals and 69,687 departures, +0.4 per 1,000 residents (#23 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is Kansas (12,138 households) and the most common destination is Kansas (10,597). Arriving households report an average income of $65,825 against $71,544 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Missouri a red or blue state?
Missouri leans red: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+10, meaning it votes about 10 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
Is Missouri safe?
Safe where most people live, not where the statewide number comes from. Violent crime of 418 per hundred thousand, 28% above the national average, concentrates in St Louis city, Kansas City and Springfield. O'Fallon, Lee's Summit and Wentzville post rates a fraction of that. The county is the unit: St Louis County is a separate government from the city, and St Charles County another.
Does Missouri get tornadoes?
Yes, regularly, and it sits on the New Madrid fault. Disaster risk scores 44.5, 50% above the national average, #42 of 50. Joplin was hit by one of the deadliest tornadoes on record, spring storms cross from Kansas most years, and the Missouri and Mississippi flood the bottomlands. The Bootheel carries the earthquake exposure and its insurance surcharge. Basements, sirens and a weather radio are standard.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Missouri?
Less than almost anywhere with two real metros. A single adult at $75,000 ends the year at a $35,531 surplus, $4,113 above the national median; a family of four comes out at a $6,088 shortfall, among the closest to break-even. Chesterfield and Wildwood need more, Joplin and St Joseph less. Add one percent of wages if the job or house sits inside Kansas City or St Louis.
What is the best part of Missouri to live in?
For families, St Charles County or Lee's Summit. For a young professional, the Central West End or midtown Kansas City, earnings tax and all. For a retiree, the Lake of the Ozarks or Branson, with Springfield's hospitals close. For a remote worker, Columbia: university-town prices, a real hospital, both metros two hours away. Springfield costs less than either metro and needs the most homework.
Is Missouri cheaper than Kansas?
Slightly, and in different places. Missouri's tax burden of 7.83% is below Kansas's, gasoline is cheaper, and property tax at 0.91% is lower on the same house. Kansas answers with Johnson County's schools and fewer high-crime cores. In the Kansas City metro the choice comes down to school district and whether the job sits inside the earnings-tax line.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Missouri's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.