City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 9.6% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $109,600 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 $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Jacksonville, FL to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.1% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
- 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
| Jacksonville, FL | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,608 in Salinas | $91,235 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $2,232/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 | 21% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Salinas, CA | Real change, Jacksonville → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $100,220 | $91,435 (+49.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $135,160 | $123,313 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $83,810 | $76,464 (−4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $134,910 | $123,085 (+47.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.