City comparison
Dallas, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 8.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $108,400 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Dallas, TX to St. Louis, MO ($115,711 → $109,137), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.3% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,238 in St. Louis | $108,415 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $995/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 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
95 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Dallas → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $63,288 | +2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $76,573 | +2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $91,779 | +2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $109,137 | +2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $128,967 | +2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $60,650 | $65,754 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $129,030 | $139,888 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $78,880 | $85,518 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $83,180 | $90,180 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.