City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.5% higher than in Greeley, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Greeley, CO would need about $106,500 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 $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Greeley, CO to Sacramento, CA ($118,675 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Greeley, CO | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,483 in Sacramento | $93,912 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
43 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Greeley, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Greeley → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $68,419 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $82,780 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $99,218 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $117,984 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $139,422 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,160 | $103,390 | $97,096 (+61.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $139,640 | $131,139 (+1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $92,110 | $86,502 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $171,460 | $161,022 (+67.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.