City comparison
New York, NY vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 5.5% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $105,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.9% moving from New York, NY to Sacramento, CA ($125,431 → $117,984), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New York, NY | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,765 in Sacramento | $105,525 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Sacramento, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
79 Strong offer
Sacramento, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
26 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Sacramento, CA | Real change, New York → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,419 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,780 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,218 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,984 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $139,422 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $103,390 | $109,102 (+12.6%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $139,640 | $147,354 (−11.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $92,110 | $97,199 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $171,460 | $180,932 (+51.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.