City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 20.1% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $120,100 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +20.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,117 in Salinas | $83,252 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $100,220 | $83,435 (+40.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $135,160 | $112,524 (+10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $83,810 | $69,774 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $134,910 | $112,316 (+38.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.