City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 15.8% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $115,800 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Salinas, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by +15.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,791 in Salinas | $86,362 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Salinas, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $100,220 | $86,552 (+37.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $135,160 | $116,727 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $83,810 | $72,380 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $134,910 | $116,511 (+25.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.