Salary comparison
Social and Human Service Assistants: Duluth vs Santa Cruz
Duluth, MN pays about 2.3% more for social and human service assistants on paper — $56,120 vs $54,870. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Duluth comes out ahead by $1,250 a year in real buying power.
Duluth, MN
$56,120
$44,880
$67,510
$26.98
100
$56,120/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$54,870
$49,200
$61,960
$26.38
100
$54,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $1,250 a year (2.3%) in favor of Duluth. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Duluth runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Duluth is the better deal by $1,250 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Duluth for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do social and human service assistants earn more, Duluth or Santa Cruz?
Duluth pays $56,120 on median — about 2.3% more than Santa Cruz ($54,870). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Duluth. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Duluth gives you roughly$56,120 of real buying power versus $54,870 in the other city.