City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Asheville, NC are 4.3% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $104,300 in Asheville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Asheville, NC to Kansas City, MO ($106,437 → $108,173), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,894 in Kansas City | $104,282 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
82 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Asheville, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Asheville → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,729 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,897 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,968 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,173 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,829 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $61,060 | $63,675 (+27.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $124,990 | $130,342 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $80,040 | $83,468 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $83,040 | $86,596 (+6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.