City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 3.2% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $103,200 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to Santa Rosa, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,155 in Santa Rosa | $96,941 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
44 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Baltimore → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $99,060 | $96,030 (+25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $148,630 | $144,084 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $94,690 | $91,794 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $174,550 | $169,211 (+70.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.