City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 22.1% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $122,100 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Youngstown, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.8% moving from Sacramento, CA to Youngstown, OH ($117,984 → $111,138), while prices change by −18.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.0% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $81,929 in Youngstown | $122,056 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.1%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Sacramento → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $64,448 | +15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $77,977 | +15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $93,461 | +15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $111,138 | +15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $131,331 | +15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $72,560 | $88,564 (−14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $107,990 | $131,809 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $73,080 | $89,199 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $78,680 | $96,034 (−44.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.