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CityLedger

Modesto vs Salem

Metro-area medians — Modesto, CA Metro Area vs Salem, OR Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Salem comes out ahead, winning 9 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

Modesto and Salem cost about the same to live in, but Salem households earn about 5% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Salem.

Their widest everyday difference: Salem has the tighter job market — 5.3% unemployment versus 8.3%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Modesto, CA
$58,296
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$55,996
real value after local prices
Salem, OR
$55,305
take-home / yr · 26% to tax
$53,358
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Modesto leaves you about $2,638/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Modesto
Salem
Livability (CityLedger)
21/100
43/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
104.1
103.6
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$75,569
$79,819
Median household income
$78,673
$82,732
Median rent
$1,753/mo
$1,526/mo
Median home value
$468,300
$447,000
Unemployment
8.3%
5.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher
19.7%
27.2%
Average commute
30.4 min
24.8 min
Air quality (median AQI)
53
35
Avg temperature
63°F
54°F

Choose Modesto for

  • No clear edge
Full Modesto profile →

Choose Salem for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Salem profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Modesto and Salem on cost, income, size, and education.

Modesto vs Yuba City→Modesto vs Stockton→Modesto vs Merced→Salem vs Reno→Salem vs Spokane→Salem vs Pensacola→

Modesto vs Salem — frequently asked

Is Modesto cheaper than Salem?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Modesto and Salem metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Modesto or Salem?
Salem has the higher median household income — $82,732 versus $78,673 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 5% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Modesto or Salem?
A paycheck stretches further in Salem. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $79,819 there versus $75,569 in Modesto.
Which has cheaper rent, Modesto or Salem?
Salem has cheaper rent — a median of $1,526/mo versus $1,753/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).