City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 8.3% higher than in Minneapolis, MN. Someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN would need about $108,300 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 $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $5,277 in MN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Minneapolis, MN ($124,085 → $116,038), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,301 in Minneapolis | $108,342 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$206/yr.
95 Strong offer
Minneapolis, MN → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax −$206/yr.
32 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Los Angeles → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $67,290 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $81,415 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $97,582 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $116,038 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $137,123 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,630 | $130,710 | $141,614 (+9.2%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $130,920 | $141,841 (−11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $86,500 | $93,716 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $103,040 | $111,635 (−17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.