City comparison
Asheville, NC vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Asheville, NC are 1.9% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $101,900 in Asheville, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Asheville, NC to San Antonio, TX ($106,437 → $108,001), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,145 in San Antonio | $101,890 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
75 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Asheville, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Asheville → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,629 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,776 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,823 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,001 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,624 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $61,720 | $62,886 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $128,430 | $130,857 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $78,650 | $80,136 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $94,370 | $96,153 (+17.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.