City comparison
Raleigh, NC 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 12.5% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $112,500 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 $1,596 in Raleigh, NC. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 25% in Raleigh, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Raleigh, NC to San Jose, CA ($111,147 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Raleigh, NC | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,496 in San Jose | $88,892 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | San Jose, CA | Real change, Raleigh → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $77,161 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $93,358 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $111,896 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $133,060 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $157,236 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $102,860 | $91,434 (+52.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $213,110 | $189,437 (+42.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $121,700 | $108,181 (+32.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $216,740 | $192,664 (+127.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.