City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 4.7% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $104,700 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Modesto, CA to Salinas, CA changes real buying power by −4.5%, purely from prices.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (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
| Modesto, CA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,739 in Salinas | $95,475 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
84 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Modesto → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $135,160 | $129,044 (+7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $83,810 | $80,018 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $134,910 | $128,806 (−2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.