City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 1.2% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $101,200 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 $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Anchorage, AK to Sacramento, CA ($120,348 → $117,984), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,186 in Sacramento | $98,828 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
58 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Anchorage, AK
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Anchorage → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $68,419 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $82,780 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $99,218 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $117,984 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $139,422 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $103,390 | $102,178 (+28.9%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $139,640 | $138,004 (+32.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $92,110 | $91,031 (+10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $171,460 | $169,451 (+47.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.