City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 9.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $109,900 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $624 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Baltimore, MD to St. Louis, MO ($121,785 → $109,137), while prices change by −9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,005 in St. Louis | $109,885 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$624/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$624/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Baltimore → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $63,288 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,573 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,779 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $109,137 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $128,967 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $60,650 | $66,645 (−12.8%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $129,030 | $141,784 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $78,880 | $86,677 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $83,180 | $91,402 (−8.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.