City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kansas City, MO (92.5) and Winston, NC (92.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kansas City, MO goes as far as $99,500 in Winston, NC.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $1,082 in Winston, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 17% in Winston, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Winston, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Winston, NC ($108,173 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,460 in Winston | $100,543 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Winston, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
70 Strong offer
Winston, NC → Kansas City, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
67 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Winston, NC | Real change, Kansas City → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $61,722 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $74,678 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,508 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,437 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $125,776 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,010 | $129,980 | $130,686 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $124,130 | $124,804 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $78,950 | $79,379 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $86,120 | $86,588 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.