City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 16.5% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $116,500 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.0% moving from Kansas City, MO to Santa Rosa, CA ($108,173 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kansas City, MO | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,469 in Santa Rosa | $85,860 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Kansas City → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $77,161 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $93,358 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $111,896 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $133,060 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $157,236 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $99,060 | $85,053 (+39.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $148,630 | $127,613 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $94,690 | $81,301 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $174,550 | $149,868 (+80.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.