City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Pittsburgh, PA are 1.7% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $101,700 in Pittsburgh, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY and $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $312 a year higher in Louisville, KY than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Louisville, KY to Pittsburgh, PA ($106,437 → $110,047), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,716 in Pittsburgh | $98,313 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Pittsburgh, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$312/yr.
63 Fair offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Louisville, KY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$312/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Louisville → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,815 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,211 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $92,543 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $110,047 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $130,042 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $76,550 | $75,259 (+22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $124,500 | $122,400 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $76,940 | $75,642 (−0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $82,370 | $80,981 (−4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.