City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 13.3% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $113,300 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Sacramento, CA ($121,785 → $117,984), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.5% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,273 in Sacramento | $88,283 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,832/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 | 15% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,419 | −14.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $82,780 | −14.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $99,218 | −14.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $117,984 | −14.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $139,422 | −14.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $133,570 | — |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $139,640 | $123,278 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $92,110 | $81,317 (+8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $171,460 | $151,369 (+63.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.