City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 27.1% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $127,100 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Little Rock, AR to Los Angeles, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +27.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $127,082 in Los Angeles | $78,689 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.3%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
24 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +27.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Little Rock → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $101,860 | $80,153 (+36.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $160,920 | $126,626 (+21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $94,360 | $74,251 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $135,560 | $106,671 (+31.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.