City comparison
Austin, TX vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 6.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $106,000 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Austin, TX to Kansas City, MO ($109,428 → $108,173), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,368 in Kansas City | $105,968 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
87 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Austin → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,729 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,897 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $90,968 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $108,173 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $127,829 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,060 | $64,704 (+5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $124,990 | $132,449 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,040 | $84,817 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $83,040 | $87,996 (−10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.