City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 17.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $117,700 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,395 a month in Stockton, CA versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Stockton, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +18.2% moving from Columbus, GA to Stockton, CA ($112,556 → $133,060), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Columbus, GA | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,686 in Stockton | $84,972 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
38 Weak offer
Stockton, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Stockton, CA | Real change, Columbus → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $77,161 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $93,358 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $111,896 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $133,060 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $157,236 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $97,400 | $82,763 (+34.9%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $138,550 | $117,728 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $83,570 | $71,011 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $134,580 | $114,355 (+38.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.