City comparison
Durham, NC vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Durham, NC are 7.9% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $107,900 in Durham, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Durham, NC versus $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Durham, NC and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Durham, NC to Oklahoma City, OK ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Durham, NC | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.6 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,658 in Oklahoma City | $107,924 in Durham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,720 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Durham-Chapel Hill, NC and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Durham | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.9 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 97.6 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Durham, NC → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
94 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Durham, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Durham, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Durham, NC to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Durham, NC | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Durham → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Durham, NC | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Durham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $51,400 | $48,780 | $52,645 (+2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $135,620 | $122,390 | $132,088 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $77,280 | $83,404 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | not published | $82,920 | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.