City comparison
Knoxville, TN 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 16.4% higher than in Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN would need about $116,400 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Knoxville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Knoxville, TN to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,436 in Santa Rosa | $85,884 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Knoxville, TN to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Knoxville → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $99,060 | $85,076 (+37.3%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $148,630 | $127,649 (+4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $94,690 | $81,323 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $174,550 | $149,910 (+94.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.