Should I Move To
Springfield, Missouri comes in at about 168,873 residents. Cost of living comes out very affordable — 19% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $878/mo, and the median household income is about $43,450. Overall, 42/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #751 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 81 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very affordable territory. With median rent at $878/mo and median household income at $43,450, housing takes about 24% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $146,400.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect varied weather — summers near 87°F, winters around 22°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 39 inches annually. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Springfield is a tougher sell for families. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (95/100); weakest on safety (4/100).
Springfield is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 47/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (95/100); weakest on safety (4/100).
Springfield is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 55/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (95/100); weakest on safety (4/100).
Springfield is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (95/100); weakest on safety (4/100).
Springfield, Missouri pulls a 42/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #751 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Springfield's cost-of-living index is 81 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 19% below the national average. Median rent runs about $878/mo.
Varied — summer averages around 87°F, winter averages around 22°F, with about 39 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 50/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Springfield has about 168,873 residents, 30% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 33.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Springfield head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Springfield stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Springfield with other Missouri cities scored on UrbRank.
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