City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 2.2% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $102,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,919 a year in WI and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Green Bay, WI to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,151 in St. Louis | $97,895 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$157/yr.
62 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$157/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Green Bay → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $60,650 | $59,373 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $129,030 | $126,313 (+22.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $78,880 | $77,219 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $83,180 | $81,429 (−3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.