City comparison
Tampa, FL vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 7.5% higher than in Tampa, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tampa, FL would need about $107,500 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL and $1,705 in Vallejo, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Tampa, FL to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.3% in real buying power.
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Tampa, FL | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,522 in Vallejo | $93,004 in Tampa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,696/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,940 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tampa | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.8 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 95.5 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 97.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tampa, FL → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Tampa, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tampa, FL 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 Tampa, FL to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tampa, FL | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Tampa → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +16.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +16.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +16.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +16.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +16.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tampa, FL | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Tampa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,120 | $100,790 | $93,739 (+55.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,450 | $136,930 | $127,351 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,990 | $95,800 | $89,098 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,470 | $203,290 | $189,068 (+121.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.