City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 4.2% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $104,200 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, 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 Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by −4.0%, purely from prices.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Modesto, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,199 in Vallejo | $95,971 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
52 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
82 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 Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Modesto → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $100,790 | $96,729 (−4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $136,930 | $131,413 (+9.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $95,800 | $91,940 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $203,290 | $195,099 (+47.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.