City comparison
Stockton, CA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 2.5% higher than in Worcester, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Worcester, MA would need about $102,500 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 23% in Stockton, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Worcester, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Stockton, CA to Worcester, MA ($133,060 → $120,548), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Stockton, CA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.1 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,558 in Worcester | $102,503 in Stockton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,395/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Stockton-Lodi, CA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Stockton | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.6 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.2 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 105.1 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Stockton, CA → Worcester, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
75 Strong offer
Worcester, MA → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Stockton, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Stockton, CA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Stockton, CA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Stockton → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,905 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,579 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $101,375 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,548 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $142,452 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Stockton, CA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Stockton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $97,400 | $82,810 | $84,883 (−12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,550 | $146,950 | $150,628 (+8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,570 | $94,070 | $96,424 (+15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $134,580 | $100,240 | $102,749 (−23.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.