City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 16.6% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $116,600 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Salinas, CA to Scranton, PA ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,798 in Scranton | $116,553 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
21 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Salinas → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $76,590 | $89,268 (−10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $119,960 | $139,817 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $70,480 | $82,146 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $82,650 | $96,331 (−28.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.