City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 20.8% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $120,800 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from San Francisco, CA to Syracuse, NY ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Francisco, CA | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,812 in Syracuse | $120,755 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
3 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
San Francisco, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from San Francisco, CA to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Syracuse, NY | Real change, San Francisco → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $162,310 | $108,270 | $130,741 (−19.4%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $129,100 | $155,894 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $82,230 | $99,297 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $86,960 | $105,008 (−43.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.