City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 14.6% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $114,600 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.4% moving from Huntsville, AL to Sacramento, CA ($110,847 → $117,984), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,610 in Sacramento | $87,252 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Huntsville → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $68,419 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $82,780 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $99,218 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $117,984 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $139,422 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $103,390 | $90,210 (+44.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $139,640 | $121,839 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $92,110 | $80,368 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $171,460 | $149,603 (+94.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.