Where Missouri’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022
How does living in the Cave state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Missouri’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Missouri, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,706 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 78 cities and towns across Missouri, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Missouri and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Missouri’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Missouri residents pay $1,706 in household bills a month
The average Missouri household pays $1,706 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Missouri residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 40th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Ohio ranks 39th, with annual monthly expenses of $1,717, and Nebraska ranks 43rd, at $1,696.
Missouri’s household expenses, on average, are 14.8% lower than the national average of $2,003.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Missouri households spend 41% of their income on household bills. For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%. Still, Missouri residents spend more than both groups on bills, at 42% of household income.
Annually, Missouri residents pay $49 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Missouri by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Missouri
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,706 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $49 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 40 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 36%
- Difference from the National Average: 14.8% lower
Housing bill category drives Missouri’s low monthly bill expenses
The average Missouri household pays $1,706 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent and mortgage expenses drive savings, with both being considerably lower than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Missouri is $1,121, and average rent is $834, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368 and rent bill of $1,129.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for Missouri residents. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Missouri is $395 a month, compared to the national average of $433.
Compared to the national average, health insurance are also a notably higher expense for residents of Missouri. The average household in the state pays $131 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $123.
Auto insurance, by contrast, is more affordable in Missouri. While US residents on average spend $195 per month on car insurance, in Missouri they spend just $155.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Missouri Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Missouri Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Missouri Percent +/- National Average ($2,003) |
| Mortgage | $1,121 | $1,368 | 18% lower |
| Rent | $834 | $1,129 | 26% lower |
| Auto Loan | $395 | $433 | 9% lower |
| Utilities | $267 | $328 | 19% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $155 | $196 | 21% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $111 | $114 | 3% lower |
| Health Insurance | $131 | $123 | 7% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $105 | $113 | 7% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $84 | $84 | 0% lower |
| Life Insurance | $78 | $82 | 5% lower |
| Total | $1,706 | $2,003 | 14.8% lower |
Chesterfield tops the list of most expensive cities for Missouri’s household bills
Residents of Chesterfield pay the highest household bills in the state of Missouri, at an average of $2,773 per month. Wildwood comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,506 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Chesterfield’s bills are costlier than ones in Wildwood. While Chesterfield’s monthly bill basket makes up 28% of average household income there, Wildwood’s bill basket accounts for just 25% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Missouri Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 78) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Chesterfield | $2,773 | 28% |
| 2 | Wildwood | $2,506 | 25% |
| 3 | Lake Saint Louis | $2,300 | 29% |
| 4 | Lees Summit | $2,182 | 30% |
| 5 | Troy | $2,121 | 39% |
| 6 | Branson | $2,028 | 54% |
| 7 | Ballwin | $2,013 | 26% |
| 8 | O Fallon | $1,960 | 27% |
| 9 | Wentzville | $1,941 | 27% |
| 10 | Grain Valley | $1,925 | 31% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Clinton is the most affordable Missouri city for household bills
Out of 78 cities and towns, Clinton is the most affordable place in Missouri, with residents paying $1,276 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 35% of local income in Piedmont.
Park Hills comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Missouri, with residents paying $1,347 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Missouri are Lebanon ($1,394 per month), Bolivar ($1,413 per month), and Sullivan ($1,421 per month).
10 Most Affordable Missouri Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (69-78 out of 78) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 69 | Carthage | $1,454 | 38% |
| 70 | Marshall | $1,447 | 41% |
| 71 | Marshfield | $1,443 | 37% |
| 72 | Nevada | $1,443 | 40% |
| 73 | Joplin | $1,424 | 36% |
| 74 | Sullivan | $1,421 | 39% |
| 75 | Bolivar | $1,413 | 38% |
| 76 | Lebanon | $1,394 | 36% |
| 77 | Park Hills | $1,347 | 44% |
| 78 | Clinton | $1,276 | 35% |
In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Missouri’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also usedoxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.