City comparison
Charlotte, NC 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 11.6% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $111,600 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 $1,538 in Charlotte, NC. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 24% in Charlotte, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.0% moving from Charlotte, NC to San Luis Obispo, CA ($108,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
- 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
| Charlotte, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,554 in San Luis Obispo | $89,642 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Charlotte → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,957 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $87,061 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $104,349 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $124,085 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $146,632 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $97,620 | $87,509 (+49.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $135,020 | $121,035 (−11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $88,160 | $79,029 (−14.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $138,820 | $124,442 (+37.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.