City comparison
Salinas, CA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 1.2% higher than in Santa Rosa, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Rosa, CA would need about $101,200 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA and $2,155 in Santa Rosa, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from Salinas, CA to Santa Rosa, CA changes real buying power by +1.2%, purely from prices.
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much 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
| Salinas, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.0 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,846 in Santa Rosa | $101,167 in Salinas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,232/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 | 36% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,380 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salinas, CA MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salinas, CA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salinas | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 145.7 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 154.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.0 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salinas, CA → Santa Rosa, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Salinas, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
48 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Salinas, CA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salinas, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Salinas → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salinas, CA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Salinas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $110,340 | — |
| Software Developers | $135,160 | $148,630 | $150,365 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,810 | $94,690 | $95,795 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,910 | $174,550 | $176,587 (+30.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.