City comparison
Boston, MA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boston, MA (108.3) and Vallejo, CA (108.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boston, MA goes as far as $100,200 in Vallejo, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 28% in Vallejo, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Boston, MA to Vallejo, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,197 in Vallejo | $99,804 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Vallejo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
64 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Boston, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Boston → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $100,790 | $100,592 (+2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $136,930 | $136,661 (−17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $95,800 | $95,612 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $203,290 | $202,891 (+91.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.