City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 1.4% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $101,400 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Bremerton, WA to Modesto, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,581 in Modesto | $101,440 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,356/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
Modesto, CA → Bremerton, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Bremerton → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $101,640 | $103,103 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $119,770 | $121,495 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $83,560 | $84,763 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $132,590 | $134,499 (+25.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.