City comparison
Durham, NC vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 16.4% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $116,400 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Durham, NC to Los Angeles, CA ($111,147 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,392 in Los Angeles | $85,917 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,085/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% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Durham → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $71,957 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $87,061 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $104,349 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $124,085 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $146,632 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $101,860 | $87,515 (+70.3%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $160,920 | $138,257 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $94,360 | $81,071 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $135,560 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.