City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.3% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $103,300 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 $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Bremerton, WA to Salinas, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,253 in Salinas | $96,850 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Bremerton → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $100,220 | $97,063 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $135,160 | $130,902 (−10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $83,810 | $81,170 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $134,910 | $130,660 (+21.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.