City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in St. Louis, MO (95.1) and York, PA (96.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in St. Louis, MO goes as far as $101,000 in York, PA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,060 a month in York, PA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in York, PA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $693 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from St. Louis, MO to York, PA ($109,137 → $121,785), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.5% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| St. Louis, MO | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,959 in York | $99,050 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → York, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$693/yr.
66 Fair offer
York, PA → St. Louis, MO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$693/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | York, PA | Real change, St. Louis → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $70,623 | +10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $85,447 | +10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $102,415 | +10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $121,785 | +10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $143,913 | +10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | York, PA | York pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $79,730 | $78,973 (+30.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $114,600 | $113,511 (−12.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $75,160 | $74,446 (−5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $96,210 | $95,296 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.