City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 3.7% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $103,700 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,109 a month in Des Moines, IA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Des Moines, IA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $614 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Des Moines, IA to St. Louis, MO ($107,301 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,694 in St. Louis | $96,438 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$614/yr.
58 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$614/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Des Moines → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $63,288 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $76,573 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $91,779 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $109,137 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $128,967 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $60,650 | $58,490 (−5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $129,030 | $124,434 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $78,880 | $76,070 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $83,180 | $80,217 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.