City comparison
Boulder, CO vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.7% higher than in Boulder, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Boulder, CO would need about $103,700 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 $1,795 in Boulder, CO. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 29% in Boulder, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.1% moving from Boulder, CO to Salinas, CA ($118,675 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- 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
| Boulder, CO | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,650 in Salinas | $96,478 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
41 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Boulder, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | Salinas, CA | Real change, Boulder → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $77,161 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $93,358 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $111,896 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $133,060 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $157,236 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $100,220 | $96,691 (+19.9%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $135,160 | $130,400 (−20.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $83,810 | $80,859 (−19.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $134,910 | $130,159 (+26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.