City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Rosa, CA are 13.8% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $113,800 in Santa Rosa, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +23.2% moving from San Antonio, TX to Santa Rosa, CA ($108,001 → $133,060), while prices change by +13.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.3% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Antonio, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,797 in Santa Rosa | $87,876 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $2,155/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Rosa, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, San Antonio → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $77,161 | +8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $93,358 | +8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $111,896 | +8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $133,060 | +8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $157,236 | +8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $99,060 | $87,050 (+41.0%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $148,630 | $130,610 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $94,690 | $83,210 (+5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $174,550 | $153,387 (+62.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.