City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 16.9% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $116,900 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Memphis, TN to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,929 in Santa Rosa | $85,522 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/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 | 17% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Memphis, 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 Memphis, TN to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Memphis → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,370 | $110,340 | $94,365 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $148,630 | $127,111 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $94,690 | $80,981 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $174,550 | $149,279 (+83.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.