City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.9% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $106,900 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 $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Sacramento, CA to Visalia, CA ($117,984 → $106,973), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,583 in Visalia | $106,857 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
90 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Sacramento → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $62,033 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $75,055 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $89,959 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $106,973 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $126,410 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $98,430 | $105,179 (+1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $126,170 | $134,821 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $79,400 | $84,844 (−7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $125,180 | $133,764 (−22.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.