City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 8.1% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $108,100 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.6% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Sacramento, CA ($108,592 → $117,984), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,130 in Sacramento | $92,481 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
38 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $68,419 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $82,780 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $99,218 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $117,984 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $139,422 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $103,390 | $95,617 (+23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $139,640 | $129,141 (+18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $92,110 | $85,185 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $171,460 | $158,569 (+63.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.