City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 14.6% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $114,600 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +20.9% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Vallejo, CA ($110,047 → $133,060), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (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
| Pittsburgh, PA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,585 in Vallejo | $87,271 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $77,161 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $93,358 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $111,896 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $133,060 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $157,236 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $100,790 | $87,961 (+14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $136,930 | $119,501 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $95,800 | $83,606 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $203,290 | $177,414 (+115.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.