City comparison
Salem, OR vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 4.0% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $104,000 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Santa Rosa, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Salem, OR to Santa Rosa, CA ($114,684 → $133,060), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.6% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salem, OR | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,989 in Santa Rosa | $96,164 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salem, OR and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
42 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salem, OR to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Salem → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $77,161 | +11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $93,358 | +11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $111,896 | +11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $133,060 | +11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $157,236 | +11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $99,060 | $95,260 (+27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $148,630 | $142,928 (+8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $94,690 | $91,057 (+4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $174,550 | $167,854 (+27.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.