CostIndexUSA

Bloomington, IN vs St. Louis, MO Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostIN
Bloomington
95.1
overall index
$1,550/mo rent
MO
St. Louis
95.1
overall index
$1,400/mo rent

Bloomington and St. Louis have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing−7.7%
Bloomington
85.6
St. Louis
79
🛒 Groceries+6.0%
Bloomington
94.3
St. Louis
100
🚗 Transportation≈ Equal
Bloomington
104.1
St. Louis
103.6
🏥 Healthcare≈ Equal
Bloomington
94.2
St. Louis
93.7
⚡ Utilities−19.2%
Bloomington
86.5
St. Louis
69.9

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Bloomington to see what you'd need to earn in St. Louis to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in St. Louis, MO
$80,000
Same salary works in both cities

Formula: salary × (95.1 ÷ 95.1) = salary × 1.0000. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Bloomington, IN

Median Home Price
$288,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,550
Housing Index
85.6
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.5×

St. Louis, MO

Median Home Price
$262,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,400
Housing Index
79
Price-to-Rent Ratio
15.6×

Bloomington has 7.7% lower housing costs compared to St. Louis.

Income & Job Market

Bloomington, IN

Median Household Income
$58,700
Per Capita Income
$33,500
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Population
79,168
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyGovernmentRetail

St. Louis, MO

Median Household Income
$78,200
Per Capita Income
$44,600
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Population
319,294
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceManufacturingTechnologyEducation

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Bloomington, IN
3.2×income-to-rent ratio

68% of income left after rent (median)

St. Louis, MO
4.7×income-to-rent ratio

79% of income left after rent (median)

Bloomington vs other cities

Bloomington, IN
vs
Evansville, IN
Index: 95.1Index: 91.5
Bloomington, IN
vs
Fort Wayne, IN
Index: 95.1Index: 92.6
Bloomington, IN
vs
Indianapolis, IN
Index: 95.1Index: 95.7
Bloomington, IN
vs
Napa, CA
Index: 95.1Index: 112.6
Bloomington, IN
vs
Bloomington, IL
Index: 95.1Index: 93.5

St. Louis vs other cities

St. Louis, MO
vs
Columbia, MO
Index: 95.1Index: 89.4
St. Louis, MO
vs
Joplin, MO
Index: 95.1Index: 85.7
St. Louis, MO
vs
Kansas City, MO
Index: 95.1Index: 92.5
St. Louis, MO
vs
Henderson, NV
Index: 95.1Index: 100.2
St. Louis, MO
vs
Stockton, CA
Index: 95.1Index: 105.1

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.