City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 11.7% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $111,700 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 $1,429 in Asheville, NC. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 23% in Asheville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Asheville, NC to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.9% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (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
| Asheville, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,686 in Santa Rosa | $89,536 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; 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; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Asheville → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $99,060 | $88,695 (+77.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $148,630 | $133,078 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $94,690 | $84,782 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $174,550 | $156,286 (+91.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.