The Cost-Of-Living In Northwest Missouri

Abstract

The cost-of-living in Maryville is approximately 90.3% of the national average of 324 cities nationwide.  Eight Missouri cities participated in the official study under the rules of the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA).  Separate from this study, but applying identical standards of calculation during the same time period, we conducted a cost-of-living study for Maryville, Bethany and Trenton, Missouri.  Bethany’s cost-of-living came in at 94.9% of the national average, while Trenton’s was slightly higher, but still well below the national average, at 95.7%.  Incorporating these three city’s data into the Missouri Average as calculated by ACCRA yielded a 1.1% increase, making the cost-of-living for the state of Missouri 93.7%.  This resulted in a seventeenth place finish for Missouri when ranked against all other state composite indices.  Without our data included, the Missouri Department of Economic Development reported that during the 3^rd quarter, 2002 the state had the thirteenth-lowest cost-of-living in the United States.