Jefferson City vs St. Joseph leftover
Moving to St. Joseph costs you $241 a month
$2,642/mo leftover in St. Joseph vs $2,883 in Jefferson City after tax and rent ($241 less). −$2,892 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms. Not a cost-of-living index.
Jefferson City leftover
$2,883
a month after tax and rent
St. Joseph leftover
$2,642
−$241 vs Jefferson City
Compare Jefferson City to another metro
Same paycheck. Try a different city next to Jefferson City.
Monthly gap
Jefferson City → St. Joseph
$241
less / month in Jefferson City
$2,642 in St. Joseph · $2,883 in Jefferson City · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Home
Only when you tap. We match the nearest metro and don't keep the coordinates.
Destination
−$241 / mo
| Per month | Jefferson City | St. Joseph | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,083 | $6,756 | −$328 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,657 | $1,545 | −$113 |
| Take-home pay | $5,426 | $5,211 | −$215 |
| Rent | $742 | $754 | +$12 |
| Getting around | $533 | $547 | +$14 |
| Groceries | $350 | $350 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $394 | $394 | $0 |
| Utilities | $219 | $219 | $0 |
| Everything else | $306 | $306 | $0 |
| Left over | $2,883 | $2,642 | −$241 |
To break even in St. Joseph, you'd need to earn
$85,500
Household gross, versus $85,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Jefferson City does now.
The tax difference alone
+$185
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.4% in Jefferson City, 22.9% in St. Joseph.
More about St. Joseph
Jefferson City, MO in full
State income tax topping out at 4.7%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $883 and 217 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
St. Joseph, MO in full
State income tax topping out at 4.7%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $898 and 220 sunny days; commutes average 19 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from St. Joseph on St. Joseph wages.
St. Joseph → Jefferson City →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in St. Joseph than Jefferson City?
A one-bedroom is about $742 in Jefferson City versus $754 in St. Joseph. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $241 a month lower in St. Joseph. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does St. Joseph have state income tax?
St. Joseph is in Missouri, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Jefferson City to St. Joseph?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Missouri tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Leftover is take-home after federal, state and city wage tax, minus asking rent at the bedroom count you set, minus a modelled month of groceries, utilities, healthcare, transport and childcare. It is not a cost-of-living index and not a moving quote. The dollar gap between Jefferson City and St. Joseph moves when you change the job, remote versus local pay, or bedrooms. How the math works · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.