City comparison
Wichita, KS vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Winston, NC are 3.5% higher than in Wichita, KS. Someone earning $100,000 in Wichita, KS would need about $103,500 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 $849 in Wichita, KS. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Winston, NC and 14% in Wichita, KS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,299 a year higher in Wichita, KS 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 Wichita, KS to Winston, NC changes real buying power by −3.4%, purely from prices.
- Wichita, KS: price level 88.9 (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
| Wichita, KS | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.9 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,482 in Winston | $96,635 in Wichita |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $849/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (KS) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,630 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Wichita, KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Wichita, KS and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Wichita | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.2 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 94.0 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.5 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 93.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 88.9 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Wichita, KS → Winston, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,299/yr.
58 Fair offer
Winston, NC → Wichita, KS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,299/yr.
80 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 Wichita, KS to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Wichita, KS | Winston, NC | Real change, Wichita → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Wichita, KS | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Wichita dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,640 | $56,510 | $54,609 (−6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $105,980 | $124,130 | $119,953 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,270 | $78,950 | $76,294 (−3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,540 | $86,120 | $83,222 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.