City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 2.5% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $102,500 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Modesto, CA to Sacramento, CA ($133,060 → $117,984), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.5% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,461 in Sacramento | $97,598 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Modesto → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $68,419 | −13.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $82,780 | −13.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $99,218 | −13.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $117,984 | −13.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $139,422 | −13.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $103,390 | $100,907 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $139,640 | $136,286 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $92,110 | $89,898 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $171,460 | $167,342 (+26.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.