What salary do you need to live in St. Louis, MO?
For a single person: about $59,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose MO-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,120 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.2% Missouri income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $3,272/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,272/mo
$49,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $3,926/mo
$59,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $4,908/mo
$76,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $4,482/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,482/mo
$65,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,378/mo
$79,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $6,723/mo
$100,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $5,416/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,416/mo
$80,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,499/mo
$97,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,124/mo
$122,500/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $6,247/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,247/mo
$93,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,496/mo
$113,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,371/mo
$144,500/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,120) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Missouri's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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