City comparison
Utica, NY vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 17.0% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $117,000 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 $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 15% in Utica, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Utica, NY to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +17.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (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
| Utica, NY | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,049 in Vallejo | $85,434 in Utica |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,970 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Utica-Rome, NY MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Utica-Rome, NY and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Utica | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 66.1 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 131.9 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Utica, NY → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Utica, NY 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 Utica, NY to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Utica, NY | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Utica → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Utica, NY | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Utica dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,010 | $100,790 | $86,109 (+11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $113,390 | $136,930 | $116,985 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,830 | $95,800 | $81,846 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,300 | $203,290 | $173,679 (+84.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.