City comparison
Nashville, TN vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Nashville, TN are 1.3% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $101,300 in Nashville, TN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Nashville, TN to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.9% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,702 in St. Louis | $101,315 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
73 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Nashville, TN
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Nashville → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +3.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +3.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +3.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +3.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +3.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $60,650 | $61,447 (−0.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $129,030 | $130,726 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $78,880 | $79,917 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $83,180 | $84,273 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.