City comparison
Akron, OH vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 16.8% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $116,800 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Akron, OH to Salinas, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,785 in Salinas | $85,628 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Salinas, CA | Real change, Akron → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $100,220 | $85,816 (+9.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $135,160 | $115,734 (+9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $83,810 | $71,764 (−8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $134,910 | $115,520 (+43.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.