City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.8% higher than in Stockton, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Stockton, CA would need about $103,800 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 $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 23% in Stockton, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Salinas, CA to Stockton, CA changes real buying power by +3.8%, purely from prices.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,375 in Stockton | $103,762 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Stockton, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
81 Strong offer
Stockton, CA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Stockton, CA | Real change, Salinas → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $97,400 | $101,064 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $138,550 | $143,762 (+6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $83,570 | $86,714 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $134,580 | $139,642 (+3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.