City comparison
Canton, OH vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 22.0% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $122,000 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Canton, OH to Salinas, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,963 in Salinas | $81,992 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Salinas, CA | Real change, Canton → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $98,900 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $135,160 | $110,821 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $83,810 | $68,718 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $134,910 | $110,616 (+38.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.