Salary comparison
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Modesto vs Bellingham
Modesto, CA pays about 0.4% more for elementary school teachers, except special education on paper — $101,640 vs $101,230. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Modesto comes out ahead by $410 a year in real buying power.
Modesto, CA
$101,640
$77,460
$124,710
$48.87
100
$101,640/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Bellingham, WA
$101,230
$80,020
$126,620
$48.67
100
$101,230/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $410 a year (0.4%) in favor of Modesto. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Modesto runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Bellingham sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Modesto is the better deal by $410 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Bellingham to Modesto for this role, the raise needs to beat 0.4% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do elementary school teachers, except special education earn more, Modesto or Bellingham?
Modesto pays $101,640 on median — about 0.4% more than Bellingham ($101,230). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Modesto. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Modesto gives you roughly$101,640 of real buying power versus $101,230 in the other city.