City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 17.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $117,500 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +17.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,504 in Sacramento | $85,104 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $107,380 | $133,570 | $113,673 (+5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $139,640 | $118,839 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $92,110 | $78,389 (+7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $171,460 | $145,919 (+79.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.