City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.2% higher than in Manchester, NH. Someone earning $100,000 in Manchester, NH would need about $103,200 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Manchester, NH to Salinas, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Manchester, NH | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,204 in Salinas | $96,896 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Manchester, NH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Salinas, CA | Real change, Manchester → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $100,220 | $97,109 (+32.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $135,160 | $130,964 (−19.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $83,810 | $81,208 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $134,910 | $130,722 (+32.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.