City comparison
Springfield, MA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Springfield, MA are 1.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $101,000 in Springfield, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,017 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.1% moving from Springfield, MA to St. Louis, MO ($120,094 → $109,137), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.2% in real buying power.
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (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
| Springfield, MA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,987 in St. Louis | $101,023 in Springfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,930 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Springfield, MA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Springfield, MA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Springfield | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.8 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 97.0 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 155.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 101.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 96.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Springfield, MA → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,017/yr.
72 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Springfield, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,017/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Springfield, MA is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Springfield, MA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Springfield, MA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Springfield → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $63,288 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $76,573 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $91,779 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $109,137 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $128,967 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Springfield, MA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Springfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,640 | $60,650 | $61,271 (−23.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,740 | $129,030 | $130,350 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,010 | $78,880 | $79,687 (−13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,410 | $83,180 | $84,031 (−14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.