Median rent is 8% lower in St. Louis ($997/mo vs $1,087/mo). Buying is cheaper in St. Louis, where the median home runs $197,500 versus $233,800. Households earn more in Winston-Salem ($59,268 vs $56,160 a year).
City A
St. Louis, MO
City B
Winston-Salem, NC
How much would you need to earn in Winston-Salem, NC to maintain your standard of living from St. Louis, MO?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
St. Louis
Missouri
Winston-Salem
North Carolina
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in St. Louis at $997/mo compared to $1,087/mo in Winston-Salem (8% gap). Median home values are within 16% of each other: $197,500 in St. Louis and $233,800 in Winston-Salem.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
St. Louis
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Winston-Salem
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
St. Louis has cleaner air on average: 33.0 AQI (Good) compared to 43.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick St. Louis if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 33.0).
Is St. Louis cheaper than Winston-Salem?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in St. Louis vs Winston-Salem?
Median rent is $997/mo in St. Louis, MO and $1,087/mo in Winston-Salem, NC. St. Louis, MO has the lower rent by about 8%.
Which has higher salaries — St. Louis or Winston-Salem?
Median household income is $56,160 in St. Louis, MO and $59,268 in Winston-Salem, NC. Winston-Salem, NC has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
St. Louis, MO has better air quality on average: 33.0 AQI versus 43.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — St. Louis or Winston-Salem?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Winston-Salem to match my St. Louis income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
