City comparison
Tulsa, OK vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Winston, NC are 3.2% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $103,200 in Winston, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,082 a month in Winston, NC versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $473 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Winston, NC.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Tulsa, OK to Winston, NC changes real buying power by −3.1%, purely from prices.
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Tulsa, OK | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.2 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,171 in Winston | $96,926 in Tulsa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $987/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tulsa, OK and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tulsa | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.2 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 73.9 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 89.2 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tulsa, OK → Winston, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$473/yr.
59 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$473/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Tulsa, OK to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tulsa, OK | Winston, NC | Real change, Tulsa → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tulsa, OK | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Tulsa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,220 | $56,510 | $54,773 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $108,730 | $124,130 | $120,315 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,320 | $78,950 | $76,523 (−5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,790 | $86,120 | $83,473 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.