City comparison
Crestview, FL vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Crestview, FL are 2.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $102,000 in Crestview, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Crestview, FL to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,998 in St. Louis | $102,043 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
75 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Crestview, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Crestview, FL to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Crestview → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $60,650 | $61,889 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $129,030 | $131,667 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $78,880 | $80,492 (+1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $83,180 | $84,880 (+4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.