City comparison
San Jose, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 1.8% higher than in Vallejo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Vallejo, CA would need about $101,800 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 28% in Vallejo, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $133,060 in either. A transfer from San Jose, CA to Vallejo, CA changes real buying power by +1.8%, purely from prices.
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Jose, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.4 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,239 in Vallejo | $101,792 in San Jose |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,982/mo | $1,705/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 | 48% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $84,050 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Jose | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 211.9 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 156.7 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 110.4 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Jose, CA → Vallejo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Strong offer
Vallejo, CA → San Jose, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
28 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from San Jose, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Jose, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, San Jose → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $77,161 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $93,358 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $111,896 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $133,060 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $157,236 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Jose, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in San Jose dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,860 | $100,790 | $102,596 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $213,110 | $136,930 | $139,384 (−34.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $121,700 | $95,800 | $97,517 (−19.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $216,740 | $203,290 | $206,933 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.