City comparison
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $102,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY and $995 in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $380 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Louisville, KY to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: 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
| Louisville, KY | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,164 in St. Louis | $97,882 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$380/yr.
62 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$380/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Louisville → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $60,650 | $59,365 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $129,030 | $126,297 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $78,880 | $77,209 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $83,180 | $81,418 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.