City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 4.2% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $104,200 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Sacramento, CA to Seattle, WA ($117,984 → $119,630), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,184 in Seattle | $95,984 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
45 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Sacramento → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $69,373 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $83,935 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $100,602 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $119,630 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $141,367 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $102,920 | $98,787 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $167,280 | $160,562 (+15.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $99,370 | $95,379 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $128,260 | $123,109 (−28.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.