City comparison
Santa Rosa, CA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 13.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $113,400 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −18.0% moving from Santa Rosa, CA to St. Louis, MO ($133,060 → $109,137), while prices change by −11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (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
| Santa Rosa, CA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 107.8 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,221 in St. Louis | $113,352 in Santa Rosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,155/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 35% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,850 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Rosa | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 139.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 154.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 107.8 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Rosa, CA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
23 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Rosa, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Rosa, CA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Rosa, CA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Santa Rosa → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $63,288 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $76,573 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $91,779 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $109,137 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $128,967 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Rosa, CA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Santa Rosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,060 | $60,650 | $68,748 (−30.6%) |
| Software Developers | $148,630 | $129,030 | $146,258 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,690 | $78,880 | $89,412 (−5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $174,550 | $83,180 | $94,286 (−46.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.