City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 3.8% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $103,800 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,155 a month in Birmingham, AL versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Birmingham, AL and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $972 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Birmingham, AL to St. Louis, MO ($107,510 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,758 in St. Louis | $96,378 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$972/yr.
57 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$972/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Birmingham → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $63,288 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $76,573 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $91,779 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $109,137 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $128,967 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $60,650 | $58,453 (−6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $129,030 | $124,357 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $78,880 | $76,023 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $83,180 | $80,167 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.