City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Eugene, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 2.9% higher than in Eugene, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Eugene, OR would need about $102,900 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,286 in Eugene, OR. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 22% in Eugene, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Eugene, OR than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Eugene, OR ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.1% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Eugene, OR: price level 101.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Eugene, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 101.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,206 in Eugene | $102,874 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,286/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $49,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Eugene-Springfield, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Eugene |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 98.3 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 102.5 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 101.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Eugene, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
78 Strong offer
Eugene, OR → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Eugene, OR is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Eugene, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Eugene, OR | Real change, Baltimore → Eugene |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −10.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −10.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −10.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −10.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −10.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Eugene, OR | Eugene pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $64,260 | $66,107 (−13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $121,050 | $124,529 (−10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $79,930 | $82,227 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $113,720 | $116,988 (+17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.