City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 1.0% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $101,000 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 $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Bremerton, WA to Sacramento, CA ($119,630 → $117,984), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,007 in Sacramento | $99,003 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
59 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Bremerton, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Bremerton → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $68,419 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $82,780 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $99,218 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $117,984 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $139,422 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $103,390 | $102,360 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $139,640 | $138,248 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $92,110 | $91,192 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $171,460 | $169,751 (+58.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.