City comparison
Louisville, KY 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 16.7% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $116,700 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,688 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Louisville, KY to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,677 in San Luis Obispo | $85,707 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,688/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,688/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Louisville → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $97,620 | $83,667 (+35.8%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $135,020 | $115,721 (+4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $88,160 | $75,559 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $138,820 | $118,978 (+40.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.