City comparison
Minneapolis, MN 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 10.3% higher than in Minneapolis, MN. Someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN would need about $110,300 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 $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,277 a year in MN and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.7% moving from Minneapolis, MN to San Francisco, CA ($116,038 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Minneapolis, MN | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,295 in San Francisco | $90,666 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax −$206/yr.
5 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$206/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Minneapolis → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $77,161 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $93,358 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $111,896 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $133,060 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $157,236 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $101,860 | $92,353 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $186,640 | $169,220 (+29.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $110,730 | $100,395 (+16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $186,610 | $169,192 (+64.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.