City comparison
Portland, OR vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, OR are 10.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $110,900 in Portland, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,677 a month in Portland, OR versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Portland, OR and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,158 a year higher in Portland, OR than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.8% moving from Portland, OR to St. Louis, MO ($114,684 → $109,137), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (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
| Portland, OR | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,198 in St. Louis | $110,867 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$4,158/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Portland, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$4,158/yr.
33 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Portland → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $63,288 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $76,573 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $91,779 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $109,137 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $128,967 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $60,650 | $67,241 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $129,030 | $143,051 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $78,880 | $87,452 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $83,180 | $92,219 (−29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.