City comparison
Albany, NY vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 7.1% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $107,100 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 23% in Albany, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.4% moving from Albany, NY to Sacramento, CA ($109,810 → $117,984), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,135 in Sacramento | $93,340 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
41 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Albany → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $68,419 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $82,780 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $99,218 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $117,984 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $139,422 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $103,390 | $96,504 (+21.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $139,640 | $130,340 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $92,110 | $85,976 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $171,460 | $160,041 (+60.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.