City comparison
Austin, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Austin, TX are 3.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,100 in Austin, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Austin, TX to St. Louis, MO ($109,428 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,963 in St. Louis | $103,132 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
79 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Austin, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Austin → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $63,288 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $76,573 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $91,779 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $109,137 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $128,967 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $60,650 | $62,549 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $129,030 | $133,071 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $78,880 | $81,350 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $83,180 | $85,785 (−12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.