City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 1.2% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $101,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,058 a month in Cleveland, OH versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Cleveland, OH and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,795 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Cleveland, OH to St. Louis, MO ($111,138 → $109,137), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,240 in St. Louis | $98,775 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,795/yr.
65 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Cleveland, OH
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,795/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Cleveland → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $63,288 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $76,573 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $91,779 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $109,137 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $128,967 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $60,650 | $59,907 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $129,030 | $127,449 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $78,880 | $77,914 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $83,180 | $82,161 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.