City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.0% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $104,000 in St. Louis, MO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $995 a month in St. Louis, MO versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,795 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from St. Louis, MO to Toledo, OH ($109,137 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,179 in Toledo | $103,972 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$1,795/yr.
81 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,795/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Toledo, OH | Real change, St. Louis → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $61,722 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $74,678 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $89,508 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $106,437 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $125,776 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $63,250 | $65,763 (+8.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $104,360 | $108,506 (−15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $77,400 | $80,475 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $81,050 | $84,270 (+1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.