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Missouri

State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years

At a glance (2023)

Cost of living
91
9% below the U.S. average
Median home value
$215,600
national $303,400
Home prices, 5 years
+50.4%
over the 5 years to 2023
Monthly rent
$996
national $1,348
Homeownership
68%
national 65%
Unemployment
3.1%
national 3.6%
Household income
$68,920
national $78,538
Median age
38.9 yrs
national 38.7

The cost of living runs about 9% below the national average. The median home is valued at $215,600 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 50% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $996 a month. Unemployment averaged 3.1% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $68,920. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved.

Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, Missouri saw a net gain of 2,540 tax-filing households and a net gain of 8,730 individuals. Against a population of about 6,196,156, that is a net inflow of about 1.4 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area lost $234.9M in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 12,138 households, came from Kansas; the largest outflow, about 10,597 households, went to Kansas. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net gain of 9,004 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved.

Net income (AGI)
-$234.9M
nominal dollars
Net households
+2,540
tax returns
Net people
+8,730
exemptions

+1.4 net people per 1,000 residents (population 6,196,156)

Income (AGI) in and out

Moved in$4.8B
Moved out$5.1B
Net -$234.9M (nominal)
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Missouri counties

Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it.

Net outNet in(AGI $)
Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves.
Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly.
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Top origin states

  1. 1Kansas12,138$837.3M
  2. 2Illinois8,668$552M
  3. 3Texas5,785$387.5M
  4. 4California4,443$323.8M
  5. 5Florida4,238$317.6M
  6. 6Arkansas3,143$153.1M
  7. 7Colorado2,677$194.5M
  8. 8Iowa2,029$122.4M
  9. 9Oklahoma1,938$95.8M
  10. 10Arizona1,812$122.3M
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Top destination states

  1. 1Kansas10,597$691M
  2. 2Illinois7,622$475.5M
  3. 3Texas6,709$478.6M
  4. 4Florida5,034$592.6M
  5. 5Arkansas3,265$175.3M
  6. 6California3,246$250.2M
  7. 7Colorado2,523$202.5M
  8. 8Oklahoma1,826$97.4M
  9. 9Tennessee1,782$130M
  10. 10Arizona1,738$134M
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Churn by state · both directions at once

The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort.

Kansas12,13810,597+1,541+$146.3M
Illinois8,6687,622+1,046+$76.5M
Texas5,7856,709-924-$91.1M
Florida4,2385,034-796-$275M
California4,4433,246+1,197+$73.6M
Arkansas3,1433,265-122-$22.1M
Colorado2,6772,523+154-$8M
Oklahoma1,9381,826+112-$1.6M
Iowa2,0291,665+364+$26.9M
Arizona1,8121,738+74-$11.8M
Tennessee1,7221,782-60-$23.8M
Georgia1,4351,621-186-$62.6M

Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed.

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Net migration by year

Net 2012–2023: -$4B (+8,151 people)
20122023
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Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars)
YearNet AGINet people
2012-$527M-7,727
2013-$64M-3,131
2014-$309M-7,415
2015-$232.5M-5,472
2016-$644.4M-4,838
2017-$334.6M-422
2018-$314.3M-972
2019-$393.6M+481
2020-$190.1M+9,071
2021-$213.4M+10,842
2022-$577.3M+9,004
2023-$234.9M+8,730
Migration in context

How big is this move, relative to the state?

In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 8,730 more people moved into Missouri than left (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net loss of about $234.9M in income (nominal) — in a state of 6,205,956 people.

Population
6,205,956
Census 2023 estimate
Net migration rate
+1.4
net people per 1,000 residents
A town of 10,000 would net about +14 people.
Net income per resident
−$38
nominal dollars
≈ -$234.9M total across 6,205,956 residents.

The rate lets you compare Missouri with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people.

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Components of population change · 2023 (Census)

Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component.

Births
+68,355
Deaths
-68,565
Net domestic migration
+9,682
Net international migration
+17,573
Total change
+26,671

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers.

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Income & cost of living

What a dollar is worth here

Prices around Missouri run about 9% below the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $110 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person.

Income per person
$62,435
what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal)
11% below the U.S. average
Price level
91.1
100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity)
everyday costs about 8.9% lower than average
What that income buys
$68,532
local income restated at U.S.-average prices
2% below the U.S. average
Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier

Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level).

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Where the cost comes from · price parity by category

Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another.

Housing & rents70.5
Goods97.3
Utilities85.6
Other services94.4

Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works.

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Who lives here

The people of Missouri

American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers).

Median age
38.9
years
Median household income
$68,920
per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal)
12% below the U.S. median
College degree
32%
adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher
Poverty rate
12.6%
residents below the poverty line
Average commute
24 min
mean travel time to work
Broadband at home
88%
households with any broadband
Race and ethnicity (share of residents)
White 77%Hispanic 5%Black 11%Asian 2%Other 5%

White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works.

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Housing · what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023)

Median home value
$215,600
owner-occupied homes
29% below the U.S. median
Median rent
$996
gross rent per month
26% below the U.S. median
Homeownership
68%
of occupied homes are owner-occupied
Home-price appreciation · FHFA index, 2023
Past year
+7.9%
price change, 2022 to 2023
Past 5 years
+50%
price change, 2018 to 2023

A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index.

New home construction · building permits, 2023
16,781new housing units authorized in 2023
Single-family 66%Multifamily 34%

Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.

Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works.

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Local economy & risk

Jobs and natural hazards

Unemployment rate
3.1%
BLS 2023 annual average
Labor force
3,106,625
3,009,927 employed
Disaster declarations
1
major federal, 2023
most common: Severe Storm

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works.

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Unemployment now
3.4%
May 2026 · ▼ 0.5 points vs May 2025
January 2024May 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works.

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Who’s moving by income

Net migration by income bracket

Tax-filing households that moved into Missouri minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level.

$1–$10k
+488
In 6,938Out 6,450+$2.9M AGI
$10k–$25k
+1,363
In 15,284Out 13,921+$23.5M AGI
$25k–$50k
+1,182
In 20,336Out 19,154+$44.7M AGI
$50k–$75k
+236
In 11,357Out 11,121+$12.9M AGI
$75k–$100k
-35
In 6,496Out 6,531-$3.8M AGI
$100k–$200k
-274
In 8,755Out 9,029-$35.8M AGI
$200k+
-463
In 3,285Out 3,748-$282.6M AGI

Among the highest earners ($200k+), Missouri ranks #35 of 51 states for net household migration (-463).

Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works.

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Goods trade

What Missouri ships and receives

Physical goods shipped between Missouri and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above.

$228.4B
Ships to other states
+31% since 2017
$211.4B
Receives from states
+33% since 2017
+$17.0B
Net balance

Top goods shipped out

Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts)
$45.9B
Pharmaceutical products
$42.2B
Mixed freight
$38.1B
Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils
$20.8B
Machinery
$16.1B
Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and their preparations
$11.8B

Top goods received

Mixed freight
$36.7B
Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts)
$29.0B
Pharmaceutical products
$27.3B
Machinery
$18.6B
Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils
$17.9B
Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment
$16.4B

Biggest trading partners (both ways)

Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means Missouri ships more to that partner than it gets back).

PartnerShips toReceivesNetTotal
Illinois$22.0B$26.4B-$4.4B$48.4B
Kansas$16.4B$30.7B-$14.3B$47.1B
Texas$21.6B$12.9B+$8.7B$34.5B
Michigan$15.0B$11.2B+$3.9B$26.2B
California$11.0B$10.3B+$691M$21.3B
Arkansas$12.4B$8.2B+$4.2B$20.6B
Ohio$11.7B$7.8B+$3.9B$19.6B
Indiana$7.0B$10.6B-$3.6B$17.5B

Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between Missouri and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works.

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Taxes the state collects

What Missouri collects in taxes

Total state taxes
$17.4B
FY 2023, nominal
Per resident
$2,804
total state taxes ÷ population
Largest categories (share of total)
Individual income tax$8.7B · 50%
General sales & gross receipts$4.9B · 28%
Corporation net income tax$911.3M · 5%
Motor fuels sales tax$896.1M · 5%
Insurance premium sales tax$516.5M · 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works.

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Elections

National maps →

How Missouri has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page.

President, 1976–2024

YearDemocraticRepublicanOtherMarginTotal
20241,200,5991,751,98642,742R +18.42,995,327
20201,253,0141,718,73654,212R +15.43,025,962
20161,071,0681,594,511141,802R +18.62,807,381
20121,223,7961,482,44051,076R +9.42,757,312
20081,441,9111,445,81437,480R +0.12,925,205
20041,259,1711,455,71316,480R +7.22,731,364
20001,111,1381,189,92458,830R +3.32,359,892
19961,025,935890,016242,114D +6.32,158,065
19921,053,873811,159526,238D +10.22,391,270
19881,001,6191,084,9536,656R +4.02,093,228
1984848,5831,274,1880R +20.02,122,771
1980931,1821,074,18194,461R +6.82,099,824
1976998,387927,44327,770D +3.61,953,600

U.S. Senate races · all states →

YearWinnerDemocraticRepublicanOtherMargin
2024Josh Hawley1,243,7281,651,90776,924R +13.7
2022Eric Schmitt868,8751,143,636—R +13.7
2018Josh Hawley1,112,9351,254,92774,420R +5.8
2016Roy Blunt1,300,2001,378,458123,889R +2.8
2012Claire McCaskill1,494,1251,066,159165,468D +15.7
2010Roy Blunt789,7361,054,16099,976R +13.6
2006Claire McCaskill1,055,2551,006,94166,175D +2.3
2004Christopher S. Bond1,158,2611,518,08930,052R +13.3
2002specialJim Talent913,778935,03228,810R +1.1
2000Mel Carnahan1,191,8121,142,85226,909D +2.1

U.S. House seats won · district maps →

2024
D 2 · R 6
2022
D 2 · R 6
2020
D 2 · R 6
2018
D 2 · R 6
2016
D 2 · R 6
2014
D 2 · R 6
2012
D 2 · R 6
2010
D 3 · R 6
2008
D 4 · R 5
2006
D 4 · R 5
2004
D 4 · R 5
2002
D 4 · R 5
2000
D 4 · R 5

2024 results by county

Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other
Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates.
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Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast.

Counties in Missouri (115)

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