City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 3.2% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $103,200 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.0% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Sacramento, CA ($111,338 → $117,984), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,246 in Sacramento | $96,856 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
52 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Phoenix → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $68,419 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $82,780 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $99,218 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $117,984 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $139,422 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,360 | $133,570 | $129,370 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $139,640 | $135,249 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $92,110 | $89,214 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $171,460 | $166,069 (+64.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.