City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 1.3% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $101,300 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Modesto, CA ($120,348 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.0% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,755 in Modesto | $101,260 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
Modesto, CA → Anchorage, AK
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Modesto, CA | Real change, Anchorage → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $77,161 | +12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $93,358 | +12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $111,896 | +12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $133,060 | +12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $157,236 | +12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $101,640 | $102,921 (+29.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $119,770 | $121,279 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $83,560 | $84,613 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $132,590 | $134,261 (+16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.