City comparison
Peoria, IL vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 26.7% higher than in Peoria, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Peoria, IL would need about $126,700 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Peoria, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Peoria, IL to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +26.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (much cheaper)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Peoria, IL | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.2 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $126,726 in San Francisco | $78,911 in Peoria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,590 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Peoria, IL MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Peoria, IL and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Peoria | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 63.8 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 90.5 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 91.2 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Peoria, IL → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Peoria, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Peoria, IL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Peoria, IL to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Peoria, IL | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Peoria → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Peoria, IL | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Peoria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,440 | $101,860 | $80,378 (+39.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,590 | $186,640 | $147,279 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,540 | $110,730 | $87,378 (+9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $186,610 | $147,255 (+81.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.