City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 2.8% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $102,800 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Bremerton, WA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($119,630 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,830 in San Luis Obispo | $97,248 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Bremerton → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $71,957 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $87,061 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $104,349 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $124,085 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $146,632 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $97,620 | $94,933 (−7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $135,020 | $131,304 (−10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $88,160 | $85,733 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $138,820 | $134,999 (+25.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.