City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 15.7% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $115,700 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Memphis, TN to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +15.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,721 in Sacramento | $86,415 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,832/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 | 17% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
31 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Memphis → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $103,390 | $89,345 (+45.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $139,640 | $120,670 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $92,110 | $79,597 (+3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $171,460 | $148,167 (+81.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.