City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Antonio, TX are 2.9% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $102,900 in San Antonio, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,082 in Winston, NC. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in San Antonio, TX and 17% in Winston, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Winston, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Winston, NC ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,178 in Winston | $102,904 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Winston, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
78 Strong offer
Winston, NC → San Antonio, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Winston, NC | Real change, San Antonio → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Winston, NC | Winston pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $56,510 | $58,151 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $124,130 | $127,735 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $78,950 | $81,243 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $86,120 | $88,621 (−6.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.