Moving from Missouri
About 135,600 people moved from Missouri to other states in 2023, and about 143,700 moved in.
- Two exit rules catch people out.
- Personal property tax is set by what you own on January 1, and Missouri does not prorate it.
- The part-year income tax return also gives you a choice of two methods, and you pick the cheaper one.
- This page covers every Missouri-origin route we track.
Missouri at a Glance
Taxes
Climate
Humid continental with cold winters and hot, humid summers.
Cost of Living
Why People Move from Missouri
Kansas is the top destination at about 18,600, but it sent about 20,700 back, so that route runs both ways.
- Illinois took about 15,000 and sent about 15,300.
- Texas took about 10,900, Arkansas about 8,700, Florida about 7,800, and Arizona about 7,400.
- Each of those four took more people from Missouri than it sent back.
Missouri is cheap to live in, so many destinations will cost more.
- The MERIC first quarter 2026 series put the cost of living index at 88.6, tied for the seventh lowest in the country, with housing at 76.1.
- The Tax Foundation lists income tax rates from 2.00 to 4.70 percent, a 4.225 percent state sales tax, and a 0.89 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied homes.
Popular Routes Moving from Missouri
Before You Leave Missouri
File Form MO-1040 as a part-year resident
Attach Form MO-CR or Form MO-NRI. Use the one that gives you the lower tax. MO-NRI taxes only the income you earned while a resident. MO-CR gives a credit for tax paid to another state. Your Missouri domicile continues until you move with the intention to make your permanent home elsewhere.
Source: Missouri DOR, Nonresidents and part-year residentsExpect a full year of personal property tax
Missouri taxes the cars and other personal property you own on January 1. The tax is not prorated. If you own a car on January 1 and move out on January 2, you owe the tax for that whole year.
Source: Missouri State Tax Commission, FAQDestroy or return your Missouri plates
Destroy and recycle the plates yourself, or return them to any Missouri license office. You can also mail them to the Department of Revenue. Missouri statute does not allow a refund of registration fees for unexpired plates. If a renewal notice arrives later, ignore it.
Source: Missouri DOR, Titling and registration FAQIf you sell the car instead, report the sale within 30 days
Remove your plates before the buyer takes the car. Report the sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days. Use the Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or the Bill of Sale (Form 1957).
Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a vehicleCheck for a city earnings tax
The City of St. Louis charges a one percent earnings tax. Residents pay it wherever their employer is located. If you lived in the city, ask the Collector of Revenue about your final return.
Source: City of St. Louis Collector of Revenue, Earnings taxMissouri DMV & Registration
Your new state sets its own deadline for the license and plates.
- Once the car has new plates, destroy and recycle the Missouri plates, or return them to any Missouri license office.
- Missouri gives no refund of registration fees for unexpired plates.
- If a renewal notice arrives later, ignore it.
- If you sell the car instead, remove your plates first and report the sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I file a Missouri part-year resident tax return?
File Form MO-1040 and attach either Form MO-NRI or Form MO-CR.
- MO-NRI taxes only the income you earned while you lived in Missouri.
- MO-CR gives you a credit for tax you paid to another state.
- Use the one that gives you the lower tax.
- On a joint return, one spouse can use MO-NRI and the other MO-CR, but one person cannot claim both.
- Start the return with your federal adjusted gross income.
Do I still owe Missouri personal property tax after I move out?
Yes, for any year in which you owned the car on January 1.
- Missouri sets ownership and taxability on January 1, and there is no statutory provision for prorating.
- If you own a car on January 1 and move out of the state on January 2, you owe the tax on that car for the whole year.
What do I do with my Missouri license plates when I move out of state?
Destroy and recycle them yourself, or return them to any Missouri license office.
- You can also mail them to the Department of Revenue, Attn: License Plate Surrender, in Jefferson City.
- Missouri statute does not allow a refund of registration fees for unexpired plates.
- If a renewal notice reaches you later, you can disregard it.
When am I no longer a Missouri resident for income tax?
Your domicile is the place you intend as your permanent home.
- Once established, it continues until you move with the true intention of making your permanent home somewhere else.
- You can have only one domicile at a time.
- A person domiciled in Missouri is also treated as a nonresident for a year if they keep no home in Missouri, keep a permanent home elsewhere, and spend no more than 30 days in Missouri.
Do I owe the Kansas City or St. Louis earnings tax for the year I move?
Possibly.
- Kansas City, Missouri, and the City of St.
- Louis each collect a one percent earnings tax.
- Residents of either city owe it on their earned income, even if they work outside the city.
- If you lived in one of them for part of the year, contact that city about your final return.
Where do people move when they leave Missouri?
Using Census ACS 2023 state-to-state flows: Kansas (about 18,600), Illinois (about 15,000), Texas (about 10,900), Arkansas (about 8,700), Florida (about 7,800), and Arizona (about 7,400).
- Kansas and Illinois each sent more people to Missouri than they took.
- The other four took more than they sent.