City comparison
Omaha, NE 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 3.5% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $103,500 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Omaha, NE and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,670 a year in NE and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Omaha, NE to St. Louis, MO ($107,501 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Omaha, NE | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,457 in St. Louis | $96,659 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$92/yr.
58 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$92/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Omaha → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $63,288 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $76,573 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $91,779 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $109,137 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $128,967 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $60,650 | $58,624 (−6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $129,030 | $124,719 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $78,880 | $76,245 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $83,180 | $80,401 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.