What to Know About the Cost of Living in Joplin, MO
Though cost of living is rising across the U.S., life in Joplin, MO, is still pretty affordable. The average home value here is just over $203,000 (Zillow, June 2025) while the national average sits at nearly $368,000. Plus, this charming city offers plenty of low-cost activities, from biking or walking Ruby Jack Trail to attending Third Thursday, a fun community event held the third Thursday of the month from March through October. To learn more about the cost of living in Joplin, MO, and why it’s a great place to reside, we chatted with locals Jeremy Gibson, senior director of special projects for Community Support Services of Missouri, which serves those with developmental disabilities, and Marriah Baker, property manager of property management company Joplin Commons.
What do you love about living in Joplin? How long have you lived in the area?
Gibson: I’ve been in and around Joplin for about 20 years. I’m originally from Illinois. Joplin provides a small-town charm, especially the downtown area. It’s friendly and leisurely. If you need something a little bigger for a day or two, just a little way down the road is Springfield or Kansas City, northwest Arkansas, or Tulsa or Oklahoma City.
Baker: Due to Joplin’s scale, every individual has access to affect change in any area they feel particularly passionate about. I have a personal passion for adaptive reuse in older buildings, so I found a job working for a construction company that exclusively works on historic rebuilds in the downtown Joplin area. My husband and I moved back to the area from Oklahoma City in 2023. Having come from that larger metro area where I didn’t even know how to begin getting connected, Joplin’s smaller size and community focus has been a welcome change.
While Joplin, MO, offers an affordable cost of living, what are some low-cost activities people should be aware of?
Gibson: For very low-cost activities, I enjoy visiting Grand Falls, a waterfall on Shoal Creek, and walking the area and its surrounding trails. A great no-cost indoor activity is Joplin Empire Market. They are open every Saturday, and there are all types of vendors. You can pick up some homemade naan, a new candle, gifts for a loved one and fresh produce in one stop.
Baker: Walking around the historic neighborhoods with my husband and dog is my favorite outdoor activity. My favorite low-cost indoor activity is going to one of our many local coffee shops downtown to pick up a tasty drink and read a book.
How would you spend your perfect Saturday in Joplin and about how much would you spend while out and about?
Gibson: A lot of my Saturdays start with a volunteer activity. From there, a trip to Joplin Empire Market and then off to lunch. I like to stay local, so I hit restaurants around downtown. With some spending at the market and a meal, I’d estimate that to be about $40-$50.
Baker: My perfect Saturday looks like loading my dog and my husband into the car, heading downtown to pick up a tasty drink from any of the multitude of coffee shops, and walking around the historic neighborhoods while we have a nice long chat. When lunch time rolls around, we would stop into Hungry Monkey Island Style Eats and pick up my favorite poke bowl and take it outside to the patio to enjoy it in the sun. After that, we would probably take our pup home and get ready to meet up with friends or family for some evening entertainment. We might go see a movie, catch a comedy show at Joplin Avenue Coffee Co., enjoy a program at the Cornell Complex or just host people at our house.
Given the reasonable cost of living in Joplin, MO, what was buying/renting a house (or renting an apartment) like for you?
Gibson: I’ve rented, bought and sold. With renting, depending on where you want to be (I live downtown), rely on your network to know what is available. Some properties are easy to search, but there are some hidden gems you might need to search a little more for. I’ve both bought and sold homes, and I worked with great realtors both times who made the process as stress-free as possible. There are tons of great realty teams in the Joplin area. (Apartment.com says the average monthly rental rate for apartments in Joplin is $952 a month.)
Baker: We purchased my husband’s childhood home and have been enjoying renovating it and making it our own. I also do property management for the company that I work for. We exclusively represent rentals in historic buildings in downtown Joplin, but those buildings boast all the charm and personality I was shopping for as a renter. There are some great spaces available downtown.
Outside of cost of living, why would you recommend people relocate to Joplin, MO?
Gibson: Joplin can be a really surprising place for a smaller city. The cultural and arts scenes are illustrated well in the Cornell Complex; see live music or another performance, visit an art gallery and take a class all under one roof. Joplin is full of nonprofit organizations working to make the city a better place for all our residents.
Baker: It is a place where you can easily get involved and see the impact of your involvement directly in your community.
When dining out in Joplin, are there options that fit various budgets?
Gibson: Definitely. Try Downtown Burgers, Club 609 and Wilder’s Steakhouse for three different budgetary options. They are all local, and you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Baker: Joplin has dining options galore. We have nearly any fast-food restaurant that the Midwest offers and a multitude of local eateries with a broad range of price points. My favorites are Hungry Monkey Island Style Eats, Red Onion and Wilder’s Steakhouse.
This article is sponsored by Choose Joplin, which is actively supported by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Joplin.