City comparison
New York, NY vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 18.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $118,400 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,097 a year higher in New York, NY than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from New York, NY to St. Louis, MO ($125,431 → $109,137), while prices change by −15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.0% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,475 in St. Louis | $118,378 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,097/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.5%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,097/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | St. Louis, MO | Real change, New York → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,288 | +3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,573 | +3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,779 | +3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $109,137 | +3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,967 | +3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $60,650 | $71,796 (−25.9%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $129,030 | $152,743 (−8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $78,880 | $93,376 (−11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $83,180 | $98,467 (−17.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.