City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 12.6% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $112,600 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,578 in Nashville, TN. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 24% in Nashville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Nashville, TN to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.0% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- 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
| Nashville, TN | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,603 in Vallejo | $88,808 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,705/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 | 24% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Nashville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Nashville → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $137,160 | — |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $136,930 | $121,605 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $95,800 | $85,078 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $203,290 | $180,538 (+114.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.