City comparison
Tucson, AZ vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 12.0% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $112,000 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +22.7% moving from Tucson, AZ to Vallejo, CA ($108,455 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.6% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (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
| Tucson, AZ | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,954 in Vallejo | $89,322 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
34 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Tucson → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $77,161 | +9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $93,358 | +9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $111,896 | +9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $133,060 | +9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $157,236 | +9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $100,790 | $90,028 (+90.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $136,930 | $122,309 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $95,800 | $85,571 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $203,290 | $181,583 (+92.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.