City comparison
Boston, MA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 1.5% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $101,500 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Boston, MA to Sacramento, CA ($120,548 → $117,984), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,526 in Sacramento | $101,496 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
66 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Boston, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
42 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Boston → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $68,419 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $82,780 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $99,218 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $117,984 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $139,422 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,550 | $133,570 | $135,568 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $139,640 | $141,729 (−14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $92,110 | $93,488 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $171,460 | $174,025 (+63.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.