City comparison
Crestview, FL vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 13.8% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $113,800 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,581 in Crestview, FL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 24% in Crestview, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Crestview, FL to San Jose, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.9% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Crestview, FL | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,802 in San Jose | $87,872 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Crestview, FL to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | San Jose, CA | Real change, Crestview → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $102,860 | $90,385 (+49.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $213,110 | $187,264 (+43.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $121,700 | $106,940 (+34.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $216,740 | $190,454 (+134.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.