They asked my salary range, what should I say? (update)

I have been out of work for 15 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. I looked up ranges in St. Louis and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

Asking about the range for the role first worked for me. Some recruiters share it.

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.