City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 6.5% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $106,500 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Modesto, CA to Pensacola, FL ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.8% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Modesto, CA | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,861 in Pensacola | $106,540 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
50 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Modesto → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −14.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −14.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −14.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −14.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −14.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $84,330 | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $108,430 | $115,522 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $76,410 | $81,407 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $77,890 | $82,984 (−37.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.