City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 11.4% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $111,400 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,201 a month in Salem, OR versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Salem, OR and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,538 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.7% moving from Louisville, KY to Salem, OR ($106,437 → $114,684), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,362 in Salem | $89,797 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,538/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salem, OR → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$4,538/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Salem, OR | Real change, Louisville → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $66,505 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $80,465 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $96,443 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $114,684 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $135,522 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $74,810 | $67,177 (+9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $131,620 | $118,191 (+7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $87,480 | $78,555 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $131,750 | $118,308 (+39.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.