City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 22.2% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $122,200 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Salinas, CA to Tulsa, OK ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,816 in Tulsa | $122,225 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
21 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salinas, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Salinas → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $48,220 | $58,937 (−41.2%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $108,730 | $132,895 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $81,320 | $99,394 (+18.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $84,790 | $103,635 (−23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.