City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.4% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $106,400 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 $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Sacramento, CA ($113,356 → $117,984), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,427 in Sacramento | $93,961 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $68,419 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $82,780 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $99,218 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $117,984 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $139,422 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $103,390 | $97,146 (+81.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $139,640 | $131,207 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $92,110 | $86,547 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $171,460 | $161,105 (+96.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.