City comparison
Portland, ME vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 7.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $107,100 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,892 a year higher in Portland, ME than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.5% moving from Portland, ME to St. Louis, MO ($120,548 → $109,137), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.0% in real buying power.
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
- 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
| Portland, ME | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,353 in St. Louis | $107,120 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,658/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,526 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,654 (ME) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,960 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-South Portland, ME and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.2 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 97.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 134.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 103.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 101.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, ME → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,892/yr.
91 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Portland, ME
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,892/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, ME is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, ME to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, ME | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Portland → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $63,288 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $76,573 | −3.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $91,779 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $109,137 | −3.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $128,967 | −3.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, ME | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,770 | $60,650 | $64,968 (−15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,710 | $129,030 | $138,217 (+7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $78,880 | $84,496 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $88,470 | $83,180 | $89,102 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.