Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin St. Louis

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 96.3 → 95.1
Rent Delta: -$814/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $814/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to St. Louis shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 96.3 to 95.1 (100 = US average), so a Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in St. Louis. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,730/month in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to $916/month in St. Louis - a lower monthly bill of $814, or $9,768/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $67,856 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin versus $68,074 in St. Louis - a raw gap of $218 higher. The St. Louis labor market has 1,311,920 tracked jobs against 1,079,340 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin and St. Louis are 602 and 463 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 15.3:1 at origin versus 12.8:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
St. Louis
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 96.3
RPP 95.1
St. Louis
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,730/mo
$916/mo
St. Louis
💼 Wages
$67,856
$68,074
St. Louis
🔒 Crime
602 per 100K
463 per 100K
St. Louis
🎓 Schools
15.3:1
12.8:1
St. Louis
👶 Childcare
$7,860/yr
N/A
Tie
🌿 Environment
1091 violations
6246 violations
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin to see what you'd need to earn in St. Louis to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in St. Louis
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is St. Louis more expensive than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
St. Louis has an RPP of 95.1 compared to Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin's 96.3 (100 = national average). Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in St. Louis is $916/mo vs $1,730/mo in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin.
What are salaries like in St. Louis compared to Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The median salary in St. Louis is $68,074 compared to $67,856 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin. That's a +$218 difference.
Is St. Louis safer than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The violent crime rate near St. Louis is 463 per 100K vs 602 per 100K near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin (state-level data). St. Louis has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in St. Louis to match my Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin salary by 0.99. For example, a $75,000 salary in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin would need to be $74,027 in St. Louis. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)