City comparison
Austin, TX vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 6.2% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $106,200 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.6% moving from Austin, TX to Modesto, CA ($109,428 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,161 in Modesto | $94,196 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Modesto, CA | Real change, Austin → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $77,161 | +14.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $93,358 | +14.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $111,896 | +14.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $133,060 | +14.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $157,236 | +14.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $101,640 | $95,741 (+56.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $119,770 | $112,819 (−15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $83,560 | $78,711 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $132,590 | $124,895 (+27.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.