City comparison
Kingsport, TN 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 25.6% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $125,600 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Kingsport, TN to San Luis Obispo, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +25.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Kingsport, TN | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,621 in San Luis Obispo | $79,604 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
29 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.6%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Kingsport → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $97,620 | $77,710 (+33.7%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $135,020 | $107,482 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $88,160 | $70,179 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $138,820 | $110,507 (+44.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.