City comparison
Greensboro, 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 16.9% higher than in Greensboro, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Greensboro, NC would need about $116,900 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 $1,213 in Greensboro, NC. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 19% in Greensboro, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Greensboro, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Greensboro, NC to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Greensboro, NC: price level 92.9 (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
| Greensboro, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,940 in San Luis Obispo | $85,514 in Greensboro |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/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 | 19% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,570 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Greensboro-High Point, NC and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greensboro | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.5 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.1 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greensboro, NC → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Greensboro, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greensboro, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greensboro, NC to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greensboro, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Greensboro → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greensboro, NC | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Greensboro dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,730 | $97,620 | $83,479 (+39.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,190 | $135,020 | $115,461 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,170 | $88,160 | $75,389 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $138,820 | $118,711 (+43.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.