City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 14.0% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $114,000 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.8% moving from Sacramento, CA to Scranton, PA ($117,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,706 in Scranton | $114,017 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,028/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 | 30% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Sacramento → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $61,722 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $74,678 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $89,508 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $106,437 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $125,776 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $76,590 | $87,326 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $119,960 | $136,775 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $70,480 | $80,359 (−12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $82,650 | $94,235 (−45.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.