City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 11.0% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $111,000 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.2% moving from San Antonio, TX to Stockton, CA ($108,001 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.0% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,952 in Stockton | $90,129 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Stockton, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Stockton, CA | Real change, San Antonio → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $77,161 | +11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $93,358 | +11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $111,896 | +11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $133,060 | +11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $157,236 | +11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $97,400 | $87,786 (+42.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $138,550 | $124,874 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $83,570 | $75,321 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $134,580 | $121,296 (+28.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.