City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in St. Louis, MO (95.1) and Syracuse, NY (95.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in St. Louis, MO goes as far as $100,700 in Syracuse, NY.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Syracuse, NY versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Syracuse, NY and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,097 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from St. Louis, MO to Syracuse, NY ($109,137 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,688 in Syracuse | $99,317 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Syracuse, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,097/yr.
67 Fair offer
Syracuse, NY → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,097/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Syracuse, NY | Real change, St. Louis → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $78,560 | $78,023 (+28.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $129,100 | $128,218 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $82,230 | $81,668 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $86,960 | $86,366 (+3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.