City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 28.0% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $128,000 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Shreveport, LA to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +28.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Shreveport, LA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $127,975 in Vallejo | $78,140 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −21.9%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Shreveport, LA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Shreveport → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $100,790 | $78,758 (+27.3%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $136,930 | $106,998 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $95,800 | $74,859 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $203,290 | $158,852 (+98.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.