City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 17.8% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $117,800 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from New Orleans, LA to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,760 in Salinas | $84,919 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Salinas, CA | Real change, New Orleans → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $100,220 | $85,105 (+41.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $135,160 | $114,776 (+7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $83,810 | $71,170 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $134,910 | $114,564 (+40.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.