City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 22.8% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $122,800 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Hagerstown, MD to San Francisco, CA ($121,785 → $133,060), while prices change by +22.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.0% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
- 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
| Hagerstown, MD | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,769 in San Francisco | $81,454 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.5%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $77,161 | −11.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $93,358 | −11.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $111,896 | −11.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $133,060 | −11.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $157,236 | −11.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $101,860 | $82,969 (+31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $186,640 | $152,025 (+23.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $110,730 | $90,194 (+19.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $186,610 | $152,001 (+63.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.