City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boise City, ID are 1.1% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $101,100 in Boise City, ID to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $710 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Boise City, ID to Charlotte, NC ($106,437 → $108,810), while prices change by −1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,940 in Charlotte | $101,071 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Charlotte, NC
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$710/yr.
72 Strong offer
Charlotte, NC → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$710/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Boise City → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,098 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,343 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,503 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,810 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,581 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $58,680 | $59,309 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $135,920 | $137,376 (+4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $92,910 | $93,905 (+22.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $90,620 | $91,591 (−6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.