City comparison
Salem, OR vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 4.8% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $104,800 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Salem, OR to San Luis Obispo, CA ($114,684 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salem, OR | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,773 in San Luis Obispo | $95,445 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/mo | $1,914/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 | 20% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salem, OR and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
46 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salem, OR to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Salem → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $71,957 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $87,061 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $104,349 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $124,085 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $146,632 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $97,620 | $93,173 (+24.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $135,020 | $128,869 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $88,160 | $84,144 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $138,820 | $132,496 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.