City comparison
Joplin, MO is about 250 miles (400 km) from St. Louis, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Joplin, MO to St. Louis, MO takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
St. Louis has a population of 298,018, vs 51,848 in Joplin — about 5.7× larger by population. By land area, St. Louis covers about 62 sq mi vs 38 sq mi for Joplin.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Joplin | St. Louis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $873/mo | $938/mo | 7.4% higher in St. Louis |
| Median home value | $147,000 | $174,100 | 18.4% higher in St. Louis |
| Median household income | $50,996 | $52,941 | 3.8% higher in St. Louis |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 99.7 | 5.6% higher in St. Louis |
| Utilities index | 86.4 | 71.9 | 20.2% higher in Joplin |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 98.5 | 5.4% higher in St. Louis |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 98.7 | 5.4% higher in St. Louis |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Joplin, you'd need $114,366 in St. Louis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Joplin, MO is about 12.6% cheaper overall than St. Louis, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% higher in St. Louis than in Joplin. If you earn $80,000 in Joplin, you'd need about $91,493 in St. Louis to keep the same standard of living.