City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Salinas, CA (109.0) and Vallejo, CA (108.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Salinas, CA goes as far as $99,500 in Vallejo, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 28% in Vallejo, 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 Salinas, CA to Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by +0.5%, purely from prices.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salinas, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,484 in Vallejo | $100,519 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/mo | $1,705/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 | 36% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Vallejo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Salinas, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Salinas, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Salinas → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,220 | $100,790 | $101,313 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $136,930 | $137,641 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $95,800 | $96,297 (+14.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $203,290 | $204,345 (+51.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.