City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 3.2% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $103,200 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,156 in St. Louis | $96,941 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
59 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Memphis → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $60,650 | $58,795 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $129,030 | $125,083 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $78,880 | $76,467 (−0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $83,180 | $80,635 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.