City comparison
St. Louis, MO vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in St. Louis, MO are 8.8% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $108,800 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in St. Louis, MO and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,795 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from St. Louis, MO to Youngstown, OH ($109,137 → $111,138), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.8% in real buying power.
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (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 | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.1 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,909 in Youngstown | $108,804 in St. Louis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $995/mo | $771/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% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: St. Louis, MO-IL and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | St. Louis | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.0 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 100.0 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 69.9 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 95.1 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
St. Louis, MO → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$1,795/yr.
96 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → St. Louis, MO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,795/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
St. Louis, MO is in the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from St. Louis, MO to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | St. Louis, MO | Youngstown, OH | Real change, St. Louis → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,288 | $64,448 | +10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,573 | $77,977 | +10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,779 | $93,461 | +10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,137 | $111,138 | +10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,967 | $131,331 | +10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | St. Louis, MO | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in St. Louis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,650 | $72,560 | $78,948 (+30.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,030 | $107,990 | $117,497 (−8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,880 | $73,080 | $79,514 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,180 | $78,680 | $85,607 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.