City comparison
Santa Rosa, 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 3.1% higher than in Santa Rosa, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Rosa, CA would need about $103,100 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA and $2,146 in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Santa Rosa, CA to Seattle, WA ($133,060 → $119,630), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (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
| Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 107.8 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,107 in Seattle | $96,986 in Santa Rosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,155/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 | 35% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,850 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Rosa | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 139.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 154.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 107.8 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Rosa, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
48 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Rosa, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Rosa, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Santa Rosa → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,373 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $83,935 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,602 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $119,630 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,367 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Santa Rosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,060 | $102,920 | $99,818 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $148,630 | $167,280 | $162,239 (+9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,690 | $99,370 | $96,375 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $174,550 | $128,260 | $124,395 (−28.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.