City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 4.3% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $104,300 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.5% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Santa Rosa, CA ($111,338 → $133,060), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.6% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,325 in Santa Rosa | $95,855 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
41 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Phoenix → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $77,161 | +14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $93,358 | +14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $111,896 | +14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $133,060 | +14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $157,236 | +14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $99,060 | $94,954 (+60.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $148,630 | $142,469 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $94,690 | $90,765 (+12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $174,550 | $167,314 (+65.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.