City comparison
Lubbock, TX vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 16.8% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $116,800 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Lubbock, TX to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much 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
| Lubbock, TX | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,813 in Sacramento | $85,607 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Lubbock, TX to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Lubbock → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $103,390 | $88,509 (+49.5%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $139,640 | $119,542 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $92,110 | $78,853 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $171,460 | $146,782 (+80.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.