City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 1.5% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $101,500 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,520 a month in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.9% moving from Modesto, CA to Philadelphia, PA ($133,060 → $117,284), while prices change by −1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Modesto, CA | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,507 in Philadelphia | $101,515 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Philadelphia, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
73 Strong offer
Philadelphia, PA → Modesto, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Modesto → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,013 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,289 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $98,630 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,284 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $138,595 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $78,570 | $79,761 (−21.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $133,040 | $135,056 (+12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $85,990 | $87,293 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $101,180 | $102,713 (−22.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.