City comparison
Canton, OH vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 25.1% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $125,100 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.4% moving from Canton, OH to San Diego, CA ($111,138 → $121,585), while prices change by +25.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Canton, OH | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,145 in San Diego | $79,907 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | San Diego, CA | Real change, Canton → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $70,507 | −12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $85,307 | −12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $102,246 | −12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $121,585 | −12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $143,677 | −12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $97,000 | $77,510 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $163,270 | $130,465 (+23.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $96,340 | $76,983 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $139,520 | $111,487 (+40.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.