City comparison
Boulder, CO vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 5.0% higher than in Boulder, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Boulder, CO would need about $105,000 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,795 in Boulder, CO. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 29% in Boulder, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.1% moving from Boulder, CO to San Jose, CA ($118,675 → $133,060), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boulder, CO | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,963 in San Jose | $95,272 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
19 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Boulder, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | San Jose, CA | Real change, Boulder → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $77,161 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $93,358 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $111,896 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $133,060 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $157,236 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,640 | $102,860 | $97,997 (+21.5%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $213,110 | $203,034 (+23.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $121,700 | $115,946 (+16.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $216,740 | $206,492 (+99.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.