City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 18.2% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $118,200 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Springfield, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Springfield, MA ($124,085 → $120,094), while prices change by −15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,586 in Springfield | $118,223 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
100 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Los Angeles → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,642 | +14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,260 | +14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,992 | +14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,094 | +14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,915 | +14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $79,640 | $94,153 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $127,740 | $151,018 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $92,010 | $108,777 (+15.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $98,410 | $116,343 (−14.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.