City comparison
Sacramento, CA 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 1.0% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $101,000 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 $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 30% in Sacramento, 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 +12.8% moving from Sacramento, CA to Santa Rosa, CA ($117,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.6% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,044 in Santa Rosa | $98,966 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Santa Rosa, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
51 Fair offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Sacramento → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $77,161 | +11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $93,358 | +11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $111,896 | +11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $133,060 | +11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $157,236 | +11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $99,060 | $98,036 (−5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $148,630 | $147,094 (+5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $94,690 | $93,711 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $174,550 | $172,746 (+0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.