City comparison
Fresno, CA 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 8.1% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $108,100 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.4% moving from Fresno, CA to San Jose, CA ($106,973 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.1% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,090 in San Jose | $92,515 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
10 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Fresno, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Fresno → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $77,161 | +15.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $93,358 | +15.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $111,896 | +15.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $133,060 | +15.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $157,236 | +15.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $102,860 | $95,161 (+20.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $213,110 | $197,159 (+52.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $121,700 | $112,591 (+43.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $216,740 | $200,517 (+59.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.