City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 3.5% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $103,500 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Modesto, CA to Santa Rosa, CA changes real buying power by −3.4%, purely from prices.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,531 in Santa Rosa | $96,589 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
43 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Modesto → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $99,060 | $95,682 (−5.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $148,630 | $143,561 (+19.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $94,690 | $91,461 (+9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $174,550 | $168,597 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.