City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $102,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Huntsville, AL and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $972 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Huntsville, AL to St. Louis, MO ($110,847 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: 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
| Huntsville, AL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,166 in St. Louis | $97,880 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$972/yr.
62 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$972/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Huntsville → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $63,288 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $76,573 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $91,779 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $109,137 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $128,967 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $60,650 | $59,364 (−4.6%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $129,030 | $126,294 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $78,880 | $77,208 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $83,180 | $81,416 (+5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.