City comparison
Salinas, CA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 17.4% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $117,400 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 $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Salinas, CA to South Bend, IN ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,158 in South Bend | $117,429 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
100 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
21 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Salinas → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $58,180 | $68,320 (−31.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $95,500 | $112,144 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $77,940 | $91,524 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $93,540 | $109,843 (−18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.