City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 10.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $110,900 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Anchorage, AK and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Anchorage, AK to St. Louis, MO ($120,348 → $109,137), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,199 in St. Louis | $110,866 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Anchorage → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $63,288 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $76,573 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $91,779 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $109,137 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $128,967 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $60,650 | $67,240 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $129,030 | $143,050 (+37.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $78,880 | $87,451 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $83,180 | $92,218 (−20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.