City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 1.8% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $101,800 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA and $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.2% moving from Sacramento, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA ($117,984 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,806 in San Luis Obispo | $98,226 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Sacramento → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $71,957 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $87,061 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $104,349 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $124,085 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $146,632 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $97,620 | $95,889 (−7.3%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $135,020 | $132,625 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $88,160 | $86,596 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $138,820 | $136,358 (−20.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.