City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 2.8% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $102,800 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Both are in MO, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,763 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO ($108,173 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,750 in St. Louis | $97,324 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Kansas City → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $63,288 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $76,573 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $91,779 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $109,137 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $128,967 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $60,650 | $59,027 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $129,030 | $125,577 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $78,880 | $76,769 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $83,180 | $80,954 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.