City comparison
Santa Rosa, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Santa Rosa, CA (107.8) and Vallejo, CA (108.5, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Santa Rosa, CA goes as far as $100,600 in Vallejo, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA to Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by −0.6%, purely from prices.
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (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
| Santa Rosa, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 107.8 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,645 in Vallejo | $99,359 in Santa Rosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,155/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 | 35% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,850 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Rosa | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 139.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 154.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 107.8 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Rosa, CA → Vallejo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Santa Rosa, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Santa Rosa, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Rosa, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Santa Rosa → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Rosa, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Santa Rosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,060 | $100,790 | $100,144 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $148,630 | $136,930 | $136,053 (−8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,690 | $95,800 | $95,186 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $174,550 | $203,290 | $201,988 (+15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.