City comparison
Huntington, WV vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 24.9% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $124,900 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,185 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Huntington, WV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Huntington, WV to San Jose, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntington, WV | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,882 in San Jose | $80,076 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,185/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,185/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | San Jose, CA | Real change, Huntington → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $102,860 | $82,366 (+43.4%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $213,110 | $170,649 (+54.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $121,700 | $97,452 (+37.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $216,740 | $173,556 (+114.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.