City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 6.9% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $106,900 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,018 a year higher in Wichita, KS 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 Wichita, KS ($109,137 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,541 in Wichita | $106,905 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $47,630 |
| 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 Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,018/yr.
90 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,018/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Wichita, KS is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Wichita, KS | Real change, St. Louis → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $61,722 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $74,678 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $89,508 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $106,437 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $125,776 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $58,640 | $62,689 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $105,980 | $113,298 (−12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $79,270 | $84,744 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $76,540 | $81,825 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.