City comparison
Springfield, MA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 12.9% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $112,900 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Springfield, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Springfield, MA to Vallejo, CA ($120,094 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (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
| Springfield, MA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.1 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,927 in Vallejo | $88,553 in Springfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,930 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Springfield, MA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Springfield, MA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Springfield | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.8 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 97.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 155.0 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 101.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.1 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Springfield, MA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Springfield, MA is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Springfield, MA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Springfield, MA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Springfield → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $77,161 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $93,358 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $111,896 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $133,060 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $157,236 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Springfield, MA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Springfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $128,910 | $137,160 | $121,459 (−5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,740 | $136,930 | $121,255 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,010 | $95,800 | $84,833 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,410 | $203,290 | $180,019 (+82.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.