Springfield trailing Missouri in cost-of-living index

The Springfield metro area's 2021 average cost of living was higher than the state as a whole, according to a new report.

The index score was 90.4 in the Springfield area last year, while Missouri's tally was 89.8, according to a news release from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, which collected data from a survey by the Council for Community & Economic Research.

A score of 100 represents the national average – the lower the score, the lower the costs.

The Springfield area’s lowest costs were in housing, with a 77.9 index. Its other individual scores were 88.1 in utilities; 93.8 in transportation; 95.9 in miscellaneous; 100.1 in groceries; and 102.9 in health care, according to the release.

Missouri's average was beaten by the Joplin and St. Louis metro areas, which had 2021 index scores of 82.6 and 87.1, respectively.

Nationwide, Missouri ranked No. 7, according to the release. The top state during 2021 was Mississippi, with an index score of 83.3.

Averages for 2020 were unavailable.