City comparison
Richmond, VA 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 18.1% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $118,100 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 $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,936 a year in VA and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +19.7% moving from Richmond, VA to San Francisco, CA ($111,183 → $133,060), while prices change by +18.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (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
| Richmond, VA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,144 in San Francisco | $84,643 in Richmond |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,460 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Richmond, VA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Richmond, VA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Richmond | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.1 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Richmond, VA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Richmond, VA is in the Richmond, VA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Richmond, VA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Richmond, VA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Richmond → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,475 | $77,161 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,009 | $93,358 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,499 | $111,896 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,183 | $133,060 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,385 | $157,236 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Richmond, VA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Richmond dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,290 | $101,860 | $86,217 (+40.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $186,640 | $157,977 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,220 | $110,730 | $93,725 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,580 | $186,610 | $157,952 (+68.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.