City comparison
Akron, OH vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 15.4% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $115,400 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Akron, OH to Santa Rosa, CA ($111,138 → $133,060), while prices change by +15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,438 in Santa Rosa | $86,627 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Akron → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $77,161 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $93,358 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $111,896 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $133,060 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $157,236 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,530 | $110,340 | $95,584 (−8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $148,630 | $128,754 (+22.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $94,690 | $82,027 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $174,550 | $151,207 (+87.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.