City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Peoria, IL
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 24.5% higher than in Peoria, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Peoria, IL would need about $124,500 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 $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Peoria, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Peoria, IL ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −19.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 91.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,333 in Peoria | $124,482 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $49,590 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Peoria, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Peoria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 63.8 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 90.5 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 91.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Peoria, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
100 Strong offer
Peoria, IL → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.7%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
24 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Peoria, IL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Peoria, IL | Real change, Los Angeles → Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Peoria, IL | Peoria pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,630 | $132,090 | $164,428 (+26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $130,590 | $162,561 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $79,540 | $99,013 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $81,010 | $100,843 (−25.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.