City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Atlanta, GA are 5.2% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,200 in Atlanta, GA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $805 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.0% moving from Atlanta, GA to St. Louis, MO ($112,556 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,033 in St. Louis | $105,227 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$805/yr.
85 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Atlanta, GA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$805/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Atlanta → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $63,288 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,573 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,779 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $109,137 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $128,967 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $60,650 | $63,820 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $129,030 | $135,774 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $78,880 | $83,003 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $83,180 | $87,528 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.