City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 1.8% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $101,800 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, NC and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Wilmington, NC than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from San Antonio, TX to Wilmington, NC ($108,001 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,801 in Wilmington | $98,231 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,513/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Wilmington, NC
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
63 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → San Antonio, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Wilmington, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Wilmington, NC | Real change, San Antonio → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $61,722 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $74,678 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,508 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,437 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $125,776 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $48,240 | $47,386 (−23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $123,730 | $121,541 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $77,920 | $76,541 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $80,970 | $79,537 (−15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.