City comparison
Knoxville, TN 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 24.9% higher than in Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN would need about $124,900 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Knoxville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Knoxville, TN to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +24.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (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
| Knoxville, TN | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,894 in San Francisco | $80,068 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Knoxville, TN to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Knoxville → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $101,860 | $81,557 (+31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $186,640 | $149,439 (+22.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $110,730 | $88,659 (+17.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $186,610 | $149,415 (+93.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.