City comparison
Durham, NC vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 5.4% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $105,400 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $281 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Durham, NC to Kansas City, MO ($111,147 → $108,173), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,846 in Kansas City | $105,434 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,197/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% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$281/yr.
86 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$281/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Durham → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $62,729 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $75,897 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $90,968 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $108,173 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $127,829 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $61,060 | $64,378 (+25.2%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $124,990 | $131,782 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $80,040 | $84,390 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $83,040 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.