City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 18.8% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $118,800 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Hagerstown, MD to San Diego, CA ($121,785 → $121,585), while prices change by +18.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.0% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,813 in San Diego | $84,166 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.8%; 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; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | San Diego, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $70,507 | −16.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $85,307 | −16.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $102,246 | −16.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $121,585 | −16.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $143,677 | −16.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $97,000 | $81,641 (+29.2%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $163,270 | $137,418 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $96,340 | $81,086 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $139,520 | $117,429 (+26.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.