City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 3.8% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $103,800 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to Vallejo, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,821 in Vallejo | $96,320 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
53 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Baltimore → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $100,790 | $97,081 (+27.1%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $136,930 | $131,891 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $95,800 | $92,275 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $203,290 | $195,809 (+96.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.