City comparison
Portland, OR vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 3.4% higher than in Portland, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, OR would need about $103,400 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 $1,677 in Portland, OR. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 28% in Portland, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Salinas, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Portland, OR to Salinas, CA ($114,684 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.2% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (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
| Portland, OR | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,435 in Salinas | $96,679 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
42 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Portland, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | Salinas, CA | Real change, Portland → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $77,161 | +12.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $93,358 | +12.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $111,896 | +12.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $133,060 | +12.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $157,236 | +12.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $100,220 | $96,892 (+17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $135,160 | $130,672 (−16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $83,810 | $81,027 (−12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $134,910 | $130,430 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.