City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 11.1% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $111,100 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.2% moving from Sacramento, CA to York, PA ($117,984 → $121,785), while prices change by −10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.7% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Sacramento, CA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,997 in York | $111,115 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,060/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% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
York, PA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; 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; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | York, PA | Real change, Sacramento → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $70,623 | +14.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $85,447 | +14.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $102,415 | +14.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $121,785 | +14.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $143,913 | +14.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | York, PA | York pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $79,730 | $88,592 (−14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $114,600 | $127,337 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $75,160 | $83,514 (−9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $96,210 | $106,903 (−37.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.