City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 4.0% higher than in Worcester, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Worcester, MA would need about $104,000 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,599 in Worcester, MA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 26% in Worcester, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Worcester, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.2% moving from Sacramento, CA to Worcester, MA ($117,984 → $120,548), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,112 in Worcester | $104,045 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Worcester, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
80 Strong offer
Worcester, MA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Sacramento → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $69,905 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $84,579 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $101,375 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $120,548 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $142,452 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $82,810 | $86,160 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $146,950 | $152,894 (+9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $94,070 | $97,875 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $100,240 | $104,295 (−39.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.