City comparison
South Bend, IN vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 2.4% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $102,400 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,105 a month in South Bend, IN versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in South Bend, IN and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $842 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.5% moving from South Bend, IN to St. Louis, MO ($106,437 → $109,137), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| South Bend, IN | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,402 in St. Louis | $97,655 in South Bend |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,105/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,540 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | South Bend | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.6 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.2 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
South Bend, IN → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$842/yr.
61 Fair offer
St. Louis, MO → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$842/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
South Bend, IN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from South Bend, IN to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | South Bend, IN | St. Louis, MO | Real change, South Bend → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,288 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,573 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,779 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,137 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,967 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | South Bend, IN | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in South Bend dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,180 | $60,650 | $59,228 (+1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $95,500 | $129,030 | $126,004 (+31.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $78,880 | $77,030 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,540 | $83,180 | $81,229 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.