City comparison
Fresno, CA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 6.3% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $106,300 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Fresno, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,973 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.1% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fresno, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,302 in San Luis Obispo | $94,072 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Fresno, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Fresno → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $71,957 | +9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $87,061 | +9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $104,349 | +9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $124,085 | +9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $146,632 | +9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $97,620 | $91,833 (+16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $135,020 | $127,015 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $88,160 | $82,934 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $138,820 | $130,590 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.