Head-to-head
Missouri vs Kansas
Missouri and Kansas are less than one index point apart (90.817 vs 90.068) and their two-bedroom rent medians differ by $15, but Kansas owners pay $850 more a year in property tax at the median, and Kansas utilities cost 9.032 points more.
Updated
| Measure | Missouri | Kansas | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 90.817 | 90.068 | +0.749 points |
| Rent price level | 69.880 | 71.156 | −1.276 points |
| Home value | $230,300±$880 | $217,200±$1,343 | +$13,100 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,027±$8 | $1,042±$9 | −$15 |
| Household income | $70,702±$325 | $74,275±$475 | −$3,573 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $1,948±$11 | $2,798±$18 | −$850 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in Missouri scales to $3,967 in Kansas at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Missouri vs Kansas: one metro, two tax systems
The near-identical headline hides real category differences. Missouri is dearer for goods (96.299 against 94.027) and slightly for other services, while Kansas is dearer for rents (71.156 against 69.880) and much dearer for utilities (88.438 against 79.406). Because the totals are so close, the category a household spends most on decides which side is cheaper for it.
Renting costs almost the same: two-bedroom gross-rent medians of $1,027 in Missouri and $1,042 in Kansas, and rent burdens of 28.1% and 27.1% of income. Owning does not. Kansas owners pay $850 more a year in property tax at the median even though Missouri's median home is worth $13,100 more. Owners with a mortgage report median monthly costs of $1,524 and $1,689.
Kansas incomes edge ahead: $3,573 more at the household median and $1,322 more per person once prices are counted.
The state governments raise very different amounts. Kansas collected $4,406 per resident in fiscal 2025 and Missouri $2,871. Kansas also collects a state property tax, 7.1% of its revenue, alongside individual income tax (35.6%) and general sales (32.6%); Missouri relies on individual income tax for 43.2% and general sales for 29.7%.
Both states have become relatively cheaper since 2020, Missouri from 92.162 and Kansas from 92.251.
The Kansas City area spans the state line, and the shared metro name does not make the two jurisdictions interchangeable: record which side holds the job and which holds the dwelling before preparing taxes. A change in tenure changes the question, since the rent and home-value medians answer different ones.
Price levels by category
| Measure | Missouri | Kansas | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 90.817 | 90.068 | +0.749 |
| Goods | 96.299 | 94.027 | +2.272 |
| Housing (rents) | 69.880 | 71.156 | −1.276 |
| Utilities | 79.406 | 88.438 | −9.032 |
| Other services | 95.169 | 93.816 | +1.353 |
| Real income per person (2017 $) | $57,850 | $59,172 | −$1,322 |
Two state tax mixes, FY2025
Missouri: $18.00 billion, $2,871 per resident. Kansas: $13.12 billion, $4,406 per resident.
| Tax | MO share | KS share | MO per resident | KS per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | 43.2% | 35.6% | $1,241 | $1,571 |
| General sales | 29.7% | 32.6% | $853 | $1,438 |
| Property | 0.3% | 7.1% | $8 | $313 |
| Motor fuel | 6.2% | 3.5% | $178 | $155 |
| Other selective sales | 7.4% | 6.9% | $212 | $305 |
| Corporate income | 8.8% | 10.4% | $253 | $458 |
| Licenses | 4.3% | 3.5% | $123 | $155 |
| Severance | 0.0% | 0.3% | $0 | $12 |
| Other taxes | 0.1% | not levied | $3 | — |
Reviewed by the State Cost Compare Editorial Team · Review policy · Report a correction