City comparison
Austin, TX vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 5.7% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $105,700 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.8% moving from Austin, TX to Salem, OR ($109,428 → $114,684), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,693 in Salem | $94,614 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Salem, OR | Real change, Austin → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $66,505 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $80,465 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $96,443 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $114,684 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $135,522 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $74,810 | $70,780 (+15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $131,620 | $124,530 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $87,480 | $82,768 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $131,750 | $124,653 (+27.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.