City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Wichita, KS
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Louisville, KY are 4.6% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $104,600 in Louisville, KY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,047 a month in Louisville, KY versus $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Louisville, KY and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,398 a year higher in Wichita, KS than in Louisville, KY.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Louisville, KY to Wichita, KS changes real buying power by +4.6%, purely from prices.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Wichita, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 88.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,565 in Wichita | $104,641 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $849/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $4,780 (KS) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $47,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Wichita, KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Wichita |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 66.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 94.0 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 93.8 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 88.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,398/yr.
83 Strong offer
Wichita, KS → Louisville, KY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,398/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Wichita, KS at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Wichita, KS | Real change, Louisville → Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Wichita, KS | Wichita pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $58,640 | $61,361 (−0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $105,980 | $110,899 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $79,270 | $82,949 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $76,540 | $80,092 (−5.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.