Moving from California to Missouri: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from California to Missouri.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from California to Missouri
California has graduated income tax rates up to 13.3% and Missouri has graduated income tax rates up to 4.7%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,911 in state income tax in California and $3,670 in state income tax in Missouri. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $2,541 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,899 a month across California's metro areas and $882 across Missouri's (-53.6%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $58,891 in California and $49,559 in Missouri. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
Metropolitan Corridors Between California & Missouri
Moving from California to Missouri on a $100,000 salary: pay $2,541 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $882 vs $1,899 a month (HUD FMR).
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $2,541 lower in Missouri than in California (2.5 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Missouri's metros is $882 a month, versus $1,899 in California (-53.6%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$14,753 a year.
California: Graduated Brackets, top rate 13.3%. Missouri: Graduated Brackets, top rate 4.7%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.