City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.4% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $103,400 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Salinas, CA ($120,348 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,436 in Salinas | $96,678 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Salinas, CA | Real change, Anchorage → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $77,161 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $93,358 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $111,896 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $133,060 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $157,236 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $100,220 | $96,891 (+22.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $135,160 | $130,670 (+25.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $83,810 | $81,026 (−1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $134,910 | $130,429 (+13.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.