City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Vallejo, CA
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 6.6% higher than in Vallejo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Vallejo, CA would need about $106,600 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 $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 28% in Vallejo, 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 San Francisco, CA to Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by +6.6%, purely from prices.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Francisco, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,829 in Vallejo | $106,576 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/mo | $1,705/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 | 48% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
Vallejo, CA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
15 Weak 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 San Francisco, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, San Francisco → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $162,310 | $137,160 | $146,180 (−9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $136,930 | $145,935 (−21.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $95,800 | $102,100 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $203,290 | $216,659 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.