Moving to Missouri: City Guides, Checklist & Tips
Updated July 2026
Missouri's top state income tax rate has fallen to 4.7% as of 2026, down from 5.3% just a few years ago, as the legislature works through a series of scheduled cuts. Warrensburg, home to our first Missouri city guide, sits 10 miles from Whiteman Air Force Base — the only installation in the world flying the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber — and carries a cost of living index of about 79, roughly 21% below the national average, with a median home price around $250,000. Kansas City and St. Louis anchor the state's two major metros and are next on our research list. This hub collects our city-by-city relocation guides for Missouri, plus the practical steps to become a resident.
Missouri City Guides
Warrensburg
A Whiteman AFB town with a cost of living index around 79 — one of the most affordable small cities near any major U.S. military installation.
Read the Warrensburg guide →Kansas City
Missouri's largest city — barbecue, fountains, and a diversified economy an hour west of Warrensburg.
Guide coming soonSt. Louis
A Mississippi River anchor city rebuilding around healthcare, biotech, and the Gateway Arch.
Guide coming soon
Missouri Living and Vacationing Quick Reference
Living here
- State income tax
- A graduated tax with a top rate of 4.7% as of 2026, down from 5.3% as the state phases in scheduled cuts
- Sales tax
- 4.225% statewide, averaging about 8.44% combined with local taxes
- Median home price
- About $268,000 statewide as of 2026 — around $250,000 in Warrensburg, $256,000 in Kansas City
- Cost of living
- About 21% below the national average in Warrensburg — a cost of living index of 79
- Driver's license deadline
- No statutory grace period on the license itself — transfer applies as soon as residency is established; vehicle registration and CDL transfers are due within 30 days
- Population
- About 6.27 million as of 2025, the 18th most populous state
Visiting first
- Main airport
- Kansas City International (MCI), with St. Louis Lambert International (STL) serving the eastern half of the state
- Signature outdoors
- No national park, but the Lake of the Ozarks (1,150 miles of shoreline) and Knob Noster State Park draw the crowds Whiteman and Warrensburg families know well
- Best scouting months
- April, May, September, and October — outside the worst of both tornado season and summer humidity
- The tornadoes, honestly
- Missouri sits inside an active tornado corridor, and spring storm season is a real, recurring event — not a once-a-decade scare, so a monitored weather alert and a safe-room plan are standard practice, not paranoia
- Two military anchors
- Whiteman AFB (the only B-2 stealth bomber base in the world) near Warrensburg, and Fort Leonard Wood, a major Army training post in the south-central Ozarks
- Getting around
- Interstate 70 links Kansas City and St. Louis across the state; Warrensburg sits about an hour east of Kansas City on US-50
How Missouri Got Its Name
Missouri takes its name from the Missouria, a Chiwere Siouan-speaking people whose name was recorded by other tribes to mean roughly "people of the big canoes." French explorers attached the word to the river the Missouria lived along, and the territory carved out in 1821 kept the name. The state's quieter modern distinction sits 60 miles east of Kansas City: Whiteman Air Force Base is the only installation on Earth that flies the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and its 509th Bomb Wing has launched non-stop combat sorties from Missouri soil to targets in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Iran. Fort Leonard Wood, in the south-central Ozarks, trains a large share of the Army's engineer, military police, and chemical corps recruits — a second deep military root in a state few outsiders associate with the Pentagon.
How to Become a Missouri Resident
Establishing residency unlocks a Missouri driver's license, vehicle registration, in-state tuition, and resident access to state parks and programs. You establish residency in Missouri by doing any one of the following — you don't need all of them:
- Renting or buying a house or apartment in Missouri
- Being employed within Missouri
- Being registered to vote in Missouri
- Having a business located in Missouri
- Having children who attend a Missouri primary or secondary school
- Spending more than 183 days in Missouri over a 12-month period
Missouri Moving Checklist
- Transfer your driver's license and register your vehicle — separate deadlines, see the quick reference above
- Update your car insurance policy to meet Missouri minimum coverage requirements
- Register to vote at your new address
- Update your health insurance and other policies, and find new providers
- Transfer medical, dental, and school records, and enroll children in your new district
- License your pets and find a local veterinarian
- Set up utilities and file your change of address with USPS
Questions Movers Ask About Missouri
Does Missouri have an income tax?
Yes — a graduated state income tax with a top rate of 4.7% as of 2026, down from 5.3% in recent years as Missouri works through a series of legislatively scheduled cuts. Sales tax adds 4.225% at the state level, reaching an average of about 8.44% combined with local taxes.
How expensive is it to live in Missouri?
It runs well below the national average in much of the state. Warrensburg, home to our first Missouri city guide, carries a cost of living index around 79 — about 21% below average — with a median home price near $250,000. The statewide median home value is about $268,000 as of 2026, according to Zillow.
How long do I have to get a Missouri driver's license after moving?
Missouri does not set a fixed grace period for transferring the license itself — the state expects new residents to make the switch as soon as they establish residency. Vehicle registration and commercial driver's license transfers do carry a firm deadline: 30 days.
What military bases does Missouri have?
Whiteman Air Force Base, 10 miles from Warrensburg, is the only base in the world that flies the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, home to the 509th Bomb Wing. Fort Leonard Wood, in the south-central Ozarks, is a major Army training post for engineer, military police, and chemical corps recruits.
Is Missouri really that bad for tornadoes?
Missouri sits inside an active tornado corridor, and spring severe weather season is a genuine, recurring risk rather than a rare event. Most residents keep a monitored weather alert system and a plan for a storm shelter or interior room — standard practice for the region, not overreaction.
Which Missouri city should I move to?
It depends on what you're optimizing for. Warrensburg, the only Missouri city with a dedicated ScoutLocale guide so far, is one of the most affordable small cities near a major military installation, built around Whiteman AFB and the University of Central Missouri. Kansas City and St. Louis, the state's two big metros, offer deeper job markets and more amenities at a higher cost — guides for both are next on our research list.
Moving to Missouri from Another State?
We compare the two states side by side — taxes, housing, and what changes on day one:
Sources and Data Notes
Residency options, license and vehicle-registration deadlines, and tax rates on this page reflect requirements published by the Missouri Department of Revenue, which handles both licensing and state taxation. Cost, housing, and job-market figures draw on the public datasets used across ScoutLocale's city guides, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BestPlaces.net, and Niche.com.
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