City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 10.4% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $110,400 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 23% in Stockton, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Savannah, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Savannah, GA to Stockton, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.3% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (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
| Savannah, GA | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,381 in Stockton | $90,596 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
39 Weak offer
Stockton, CA → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Stockton, CA | Real change, Savannah → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $97,400 | $88,240 (+38.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $138,550 | $125,520 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $83,570 | $75,711 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $134,580 | $121,924 (+40.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.