City comparison
Stockton, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 3.2% higher than in Stockton, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Stockton, CA would need about $103,200 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 $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 23% in Stockton, 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 Stockton, CA to Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by −3.1%, purely from prices.
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (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
| Stockton, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.1 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,226 in Vallejo | $96,875 in Stockton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,395/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 | 23% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Stockton-Lodi, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Stockton | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.6 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.1 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Stockton, CA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
55 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → Stockton, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
79 Strong 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 Stockton, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Stockton, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Stockton → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Stockton, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Stockton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,400 | $100,790 | $97,640 (+0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $138,550 | $136,930 | $132,651 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,570 | $95,800 | $92,806 (+11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,580 | $203,290 | $196,937 (+46.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.