City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 3.3% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $103,300 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Winston, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from St. Louis, MO to Winston, NC ($109,137 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,798 in Winston | $103,308 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $46,380 |
| 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 Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Winston, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
79 Strong offer
Winston, NC → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Winston, NC | Real change, St. Louis → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $61,722 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $74,678 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $89,508 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $106,437 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $125,776 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Winston, NC | Winston pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $56,510 | $58,379 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $124,130 | $128,237 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $78,950 | $81,562 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $86,120 | $88,969 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.