City comparison
Toledo, OH vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 18.6% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $118,600 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Toledo, OH to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much 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
| Toledo, OH | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,615 in Vallejo | $84,307 in Toledo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $820/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,220 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Toledo, OH MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Toledo, OH and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Toledo | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.3 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Toledo, OH → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Toledo, OH 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 Toledo, OH to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Toledo, OH | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Toledo → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Toledo, OH | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Toledo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,250 | $100,790 | $84,973 (+34.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,360 | $136,930 | $115,441 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,400 | $95,800 | $80,766 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,050 | $203,290 | $171,387 (+111.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.