City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Anchorage, AK (105.4) and Stockton, CA (105.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Anchorage, AK goes as far as $99,700 in Stockton, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Stockton, CA ($120,348 → $133,060), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,686 in Stockton | $100,315 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Stockton, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
70 Fair offer
Stockton, CA → Anchorage, AK
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Stockton, CA | Real change, Anchorage → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $77,161 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $93,358 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $111,896 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $133,060 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $157,236 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $97,400 | $97,707 (+23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $138,550 | $138,986 (+33.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $83,570 | $83,833 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $134,580 | $135,004 (+17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.