City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Joplin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $873/mo | 77.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $147,000 | 213.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $50,996 | 69.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 95.2 | 94.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.9 | 87.6 | 2.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.5 | 94.2 | 3.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 95.8 | 94.9 | 1.0% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $74,341 in Joplin to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joplin, MO is about 25.7% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 52% lower in Joplin than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $59,473 in Joplin to keep the same standard of living.