City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Richmond, VA are 5.7% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $105,700 in Richmond, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,173 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Kansas City, MO to Richmond, VA ($108,173 → $111,183), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,743 in Richmond | $94,569 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Richmond, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,173/yr.
52 Fair offer
Richmond, VA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,173/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Richmond, VA | Real change, Kansas City → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $64,475 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $78,009 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $93,499 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $111,183 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $131,385 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $61,290 | $57,961 (−5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $132,120 | $124,944 (−0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $84,220 | $79,646 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $93,580 | $88,497 (+6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.