City comparison
Durham, NC vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 11.8% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $111,800 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 $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Durham, NC to Salinas, CA ($111,147 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.1% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- 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
| Durham, NC | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,755 in Salinas | $89,481 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,232/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; 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; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Salinas, CA | Real change, Durham → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $77,161 | +7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $93,358 | +7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $111,896 | +7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $133,060 | +7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $157,236 | +7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $100,220 | $89,678 (+74.5%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $135,160 | $120,943 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $83,810 | $74,994 (−11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $134,910 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.