City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Port St. Lucie, FL are 8.3% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $108,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.8% moving from Kansas City, MO to Port St. Lucie, FL ($108,173 → $113,356), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,304 in Port St. Lucie | $92,332 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
45 Weak offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Kansas City → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $65,735 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $79,533 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $95,326 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $113,356 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $133,953 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $53,610 | $49,499 (−18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $128,510 | $118,656 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,430 | $73,340 (−8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $82,090 | $75,796 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.