City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 9.6% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $109,600 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Los Angeles, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Salem, OR ($124,085 → $114,684), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,268 in Salem | $109,568 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
99 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
28 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Salem, OR | Real change, Los Angeles → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $66,505 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $80,465 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $96,443 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $114,684 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $135,522 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $74,810 | $81,968 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $131,620 | $144,213 (−10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $87,480 | $95,850 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $131,750 | $144,356 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.