City comparison
Providence, RI vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 3.3% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $103,300 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,402 a month in Providence, RI and $1,395 in Stockton, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Providence, RI to Stockton, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.9% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,258 in Stockton | $96,845 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Stockton, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
59 Fair offer
Stockton, CA → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Stockton, CA | Real change, Providence → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $97,400 | $94,327 (+8.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $138,550 | $134,178 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $83,570 | $80,933 (−14.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $134,580 | $130,333 (+30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.