City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 8.4% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $108,400 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Boise City, ID to Sacramento, CA ($106,437 → $117,984), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,414 in Sacramento | $92,239 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
37 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Boise City → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $68,419 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $82,780 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $99,218 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $117,984 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $139,422 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $103,390 | $95,366 (+55.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $139,640 | $128,802 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $92,110 | $84,961 (+10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $171,460 | $158,152 (+61.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.