City comparison
Boston, MA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.5% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $104,500 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,140 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.9% moving from Boston, MA to Salem, OR ($120,548 → $114,684), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,736 in Salem | $104,454 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,140/yr.
83 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$3,140/yr.
33 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Salem, OR | Real change, Boston → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $66,505 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $80,465 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $96,443 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $114,684 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $135,522 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $74,810 | $78,142 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $131,620 | $137,483 (−17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $87,480 | $91,377 (−8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $131,750 | $137,619 (+29.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.