City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Baltimore, MD (104.5) and Modesto, CA (104.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Baltimore, MD goes as far as $99,600 in Modesto, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to Modesto, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.7% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,637 in Modesto | $100,364 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
70 Fair offer
Modesto, CA → Baltimore, MD
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Modesto, CA | Real change, Baltimore → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | +9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | +9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | +9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | +9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | +9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $101,640 | $102,010 (+33.5%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $119,770 | $120,206 (−13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $83,560 | $83,864 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $132,590 | $133,073 (+33.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.