City comparison
Reno, NV 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 6.7% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $106,700 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 23% in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.5% moving from Reno, NV to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,855 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.7% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
- 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
| Reno, NV | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,702 in Santa Rosa | $93,719 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reno, NV and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Reno → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $77,161 | +16.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $93,358 | +16.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $111,896 | +16.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $133,060 | +16.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $157,236 | +16.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $99,060 | $92,838 (+48.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $148,630 | $139,294 (+10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $94,690 | $88,742 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $174,550 | $163,586 (+52.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.