City comparison
Tallahassee, FL vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 15.5% higher than in Tallahassee, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tallahassee, FL would need about $115,500 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 $1,204 in Tallahassee, FL. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 18% in Tallahassee, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Tallahassee, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Tallahassee, FL to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +15.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (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
| Tallahassee, FL | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,503 in Vallejo | $86,578 in Tallahassee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,204/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,520 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Tallahassee, FL and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tallahassee | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tallahassee, FL → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tallahassee, FL 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 Tallahassee, FL to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tallahassee, FL | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Tallahassee → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tallahassee, FL | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Tallahassee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $55,020 | $100,790 | $87,262 (+58.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,800 | $136,930 | $118,551 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $61,840 | $95,800 | $82,942 (+34.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,430 | $203,290 | $176,005 (+121.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.