City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charlotte, NC are 2.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $102,400 in Charlotte, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.3% moving from Charlotte, NC to St. Louis, MO ($108,810 → $109,137), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,678 in St. Louis | $102,377 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $995/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 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
76 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Charlotte, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Charlotte → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $63,288 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $76,573 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $91,779 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $109,137 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $128,967 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $60,650 | $62,091 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $129,030 | $132,097 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $78,880 | $80,755 (−13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $83,180 | $85,157 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.