City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 9.5% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $109,500 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,475 in San Francisco | $91,345 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
7 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Bremerton → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $101,860 | $93,044 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $186,640 | $170,487 (+16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $110,730 | $101,147 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $186,610 | $170,459 (+59.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.