Missouri is one of the 10 most affordable states to retire, this study says
Missouri residents nearing retirement who are thinking about moving to a different state may want to reconsider, according to a new study.
Analysis provided by the finance journal Retirement Living looked at the most affordable states to retire in the United States based on three key categories: housing costs, living costs and tax friendliness. The journal’s analysis weighted each category based on a 30- to 35-point system and used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, real estate company Redfin and other sources to rank each state.
They looked at median rent and home prices, grocery and gas costs, Medicare expenses and taxes to determine the most affordable state to retire, and found that Missouri ranked in the top 10 and nearly cracked the top five.
Missouri ranked as the sixth most affordable state to retire, according to Retirement Living. The state received its ranking based on its affordable cost of living and affordable housing.
The state ranked ninth for overall housing costs with a median rent price of $835 and a median home sale price of $258,000. Missouri also has the 12th least expensive Medicaid Advantage plan at $12.69 and the 10th lowest price of gas at $2.80 per gallon.
Missouri also ranked seventh in overall living costs and 22nd in overall tax friendliness. Additional median numbers that led to Missouri’s ranking include:
- Groceries per week: $206.61
- State income tax: 4.8%
- Property tax: 0.88%
Missouri doesn’t always top recommendations for retirees. Another 2025 list from rankings and review website Niche ranks the best cities to retire in the United States but doesn’t feature a Kansas City area city until Leawood pops in at No. 164., and a Missouri suburb doesn’t appear until Chesterfield is listed at No. 215.
The top 25 on Niche’s rankings are dominated by suburbs in Florida, which all received A+ ratings. Niche’s ranking was based on the number of retirees, weather, and access to health care and entertainment, and their information came from sources such as the U.S. Census, FBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How do other states compare to Missouri?
Missouri ranked sixth on Retirement Living’s most affordable places to retire list. Here are the states that ranked in the top five:
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Indiana
- Iowa
Kansas ranked 11th in the United States. Residents in Kansas spend less on groceries per week compared to Missouri, paying $194.78 on average. The state’s median Medicare Advantage Plan is also less than Missouri at $11.93, but residents spend more on rent and housing.
The least affordable state to retire in the United States is California. The state has the highest median rent price ($1,709) and median home sale price ($833,000) of all the states.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 3:15 PM.
