City comparison
Deltona, FL vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 9.7% higher than in Deltona, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Deltona, FL would need about $109,700 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,385 in Deltona, FL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 21% in Deltona, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Deltona, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Deltona, FL to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.9% in real buying power.
- Deltona, FL: price level 99.4 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Deltona, FL | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.4 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,737 in Salinas | $91,127 in Deltona |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,385/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,940 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Deltona | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.4 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.6 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.4 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Deltona, FL → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
24 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Deltona, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Deltona, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Deltona, FL to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Deltona, FL | Salinas, CA | Real change, Deltona → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Deltona, FL | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Deltona dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,770 | $100,220 | $91,328 (+58.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,000 | $135,160 | $123,168 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,730 | $83,810 | $76,374 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,180 | $134,910 | $122,940 (+46.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.