City comparison
Olympia, WA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 9.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $109,000 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA 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 Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Olympia, WA to St. Louis, MO ($119,630 → $109,137), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (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
| Olympia, WA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,722 in St. Louis | $109,025 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
97 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Olympia → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $63,288 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $76,573 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $91,779 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $109,137 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $128,967 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $60,650 | $66,124 (−36.8%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $129,030 | $140,675 (+13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $78,880 | $85,999 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $83,180 | $90,687 (−27.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.