City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 2.1% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $102,100 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Baltimore, MD to Sacramento, CA ($121,785 → $117,984), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,089 in Sacramento | $97,954 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
55 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Baltimore → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $68,419 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $82,780 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $99,218 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $117,984 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $139,422 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $103,390 | $101,274 (+32.6%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $139,640 | $136,782 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $92,110 | $90,225 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $171,460 | $167,951 (+68.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.