City comparison
Houston, TX vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Houston, TX are 3.7% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $103,700 in Houston, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.1% moving from Houston, TX to St. Louis, MO ($122,749 → $109,137), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,410 in St. Louis | $103,724 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
80 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Houston, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Houston → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $63,288 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $76,573 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $91,779 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $109,137 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $128,967 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $60,650 | $62,909 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $129,030 | $133,835 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $78,880 | $81,817 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $83,180 | $86,278 (−13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.