City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 10.5% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $110,500 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 $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Asheville, NC to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- 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
| Asheville, NC | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,532 in Sacramento | $90,472 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
32 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Asheville → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $103,390 | $93,539 (+86.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $139,640 | $126,334 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $92,110 | $83,333 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $171,460 | $155,123 (+90.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.