City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 29.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $129,400 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Little Rock, AR to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +29.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Little Rock, AR | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $129,373 in San Francisco | $77,296 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +29.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Little Rock → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $101,860 | $78,734 (+34.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $186,640 | $144,265 (+38.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $110,730 | $85,590 (+30.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $186,610 | $144,242 (+77.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.