City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 16.4% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $116,400 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from New Orleans, LA to Santa Rosa, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Orleans, LA | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,401 in Santa Rosa | $85,910 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, New Orleans → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $99,060 | $85,102 (+41.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $148,630 | $127,688 (+19.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $94,690 | $81,348 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $174,550 | $149,956 (+83.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.