City comparison
Boise City, ID vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 3.5% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,500 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $429 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Boise City, ID to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,643 in St. Louis | $103,474 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$429/yr.
80 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Boise City, ID
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$429/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Boise City → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $60,650 | $62,757 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $129,030 | $133,512 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $78,880 | $81,620 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $83,180 | $86,069 (−12.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.