City comparison
Scranton, PA 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 1.6% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $101,600 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,028 a month in Scranton, PA and $995 in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Scranton, PA to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (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
| Scranton, PA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,638 in St. Louis | $98,389 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
64 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Scranton, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Scranton → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $60,650 | $59,673 (−22.1%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $129,030 | $126,951 (+5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $78,880 | $77,609 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $83,180 | $81,840 (−1.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.