City comparison
Scranton, PA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 16.0% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $116,000 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Scranton, PA to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +16.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- 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
| Scranton, PA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,951 in Vallejo | $86,243 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Scranton, PA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Scranton → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $100,790 | $86,925 (+13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $136,930 | $118,093 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $95,800 | $82,621 (+17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $203,290 | $175,324 (+112.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.