City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 17.7% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $117,700 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Asheville, NC to Los Angeles, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,678 in Los Angeles | $84,978 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Asheville → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $101,860 | $86,558 (+72.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $160,920 | $136,746 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $94,360 | $80,185 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $135,560 | $115,196 (+41.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.