City comparison
Canton, OH vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 6.4% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $106,400 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,795 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Canton, OH to St. Louis, MO ($111,138 → $109,137), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Canton, OH | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,355 in St. Louis | $94,024 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,795/yr.
50 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,795/yr.
89 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Canton → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,288 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,573 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,779 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $109,137 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,967 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $98,900 | $106,420 | $100,061 (+1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $129,030 | $121,320 (+15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $78,880 | $74,167 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $83,180 | $78,210 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.