City comparison
New York, NY vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 8.6% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $108,600 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,061 a year higher in Salem, OR than in New York, NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from New York, NY to Salem, OR ($125,431 → $114,684), while prices change by −7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,081 in Salem | $108,600 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,061/yr.
96 Strong offer
Salem, OR → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$3,061/yr.
17 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Salem, OR | Real change, New York → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $66,505 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $80,465 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $96,443 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $114,684 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $135,522 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Salem, OR | Salem pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $74,810 | $81,244 (−16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $131,620 | $142,940 (−14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $87,480 | $95,003 (−10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $131,750 | $143,081 (+19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.