California cities compared
All 25 California metropolitan areas on the same $100,000 salary and the same $400,000 home. El Centro leaves you $12,781 a year better off than San Francisco — and none of it is income tax, which is identical everywhere in the state.
El Centro to San Francisco: $12,781 a year apart, same tax code
California has 25 metropolitan areas with a published price index, and on $100,000 with a $400,000 home they are not interchangeable: $74,353 of purchasing power in El Centro against $61,572 in San Francisco — $12,781 a year, 12.8% of the salary, without leaving the state.
That gap is unusually easy to trust, because the income tax is identical in every row. Federal $13,170, FICA $7,650, California state income tax $5,055, and no county or city in California levies its own. Two things move down this table and only two: what a house costs in property tax, and what everything costs at the till.
| Metropolitan area | Buys | Behind the best | Prices | Property tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1El Centro | $74,353 | best | 95.174 | 0.84% |
| 2Merced | $72,678 | −$1,675 | 98.275 | 0.68% |
| 3Visalia | $71,328 | −$3,025 | 99.825 | 0.73% |
| 4Redding | $70,827 | −$3,526 | 100.684 | 0.70% |
| 5Chico | $70,522 | −$3,831 | 101.197 | 0.69% |
| 6Hanford-Corcoran | $69,994 | −$4,359 | 101.612 | 0.75% |
| 7Bakersfield-Delano | $69,858 | −$4,495 | 100.886 | 0.91% |
| 8Fresno | $69,662 | −$4,691 | 102.158 | 0.74% |
| 9Modesto | $68,476 | −$5,877 | 104.108 | 0.71% |
| 10Yuba City | $68,170 | −$6,183 | 104.233 | 0.77% |
| 11Stockton-Lodi | $67,624 | −$6,728 | 105.089 | 0.76% |
| 12Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $66,756 | −$7,597 | 106.442 | 0.77% |
| 13Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $66,606 | −$7,747 | 106.67 | 0.77% |
| 14Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $66,114 | −$8,239 | 107.784 | 0.72% |
| 15Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $65,697 | −$8,656 | 108.798 | 0.66% |
| 16San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $65,663 | −$8,690 | 108.596 | 0.70% |
| 17Vallejo | $65,575 | −$8,778 | 108.479 | 0.75% |
| 18Salinas | $65,553 | −$8,800 | 109.042 | 0.66% |
| 19Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $65,189 | −$9,163 | 109.896 | 0.62% |
| 20San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $64,559 | −$9,794 | 110.423 | 0.71% |
| 21Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $64,553 | −$9,800 | 110.534 | 0.69% |
| 22San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63,747 | −$10,606 | 111.887 | 0.70% |
| 23Napa | $63,383 | −$10,970 | 112.554 | 0.70% |
| 24Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $62,849 | −$11,504 | 113.566 | 0.69% |
| 25San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $61,572 | −$12,781 | 115.613 | 0.73% |
Purchasing power on a $100,000 salary with a $400,000 home: take-home after federal, FICA, California income tax and property tax, divided by that area’s price level. The income tax is identical in every row — the whole of the spread is property tax and the price level. Price index 100 is the US average.
22 of the 25 price above the national average and 3 below it — inside one state, under one tax code. A single state-level cost of living number averages that away and tells you about none of them.
Property tax runs from 0.62% in Santa Cruz to 0.91% in Bakersfield — on a $400,000 home that is $2,484 against $3,648 a year, a difference of $1,164. Each rate is that area's counties averaged and weighted by how many homes are in each, because a house pays the tax and a rural county of a few thousand homes should not weigh the same as an urban one of several hundred thousand.
The 300 California comparisons, resolved
Every pair of California cities, each on its own page with the full working, the break-even salary and the property tax bill house by house. Ordered by the population that could plausibly be choosing between them:
Los Angeles vs San Francisco — Los Angeles by $1,277 a year. Price level 113.566 against 115.613; property tax 0.69% against 0.73%.
Los Angeles vs Riverside — Riverside by $3,907 a year. Price level 113.566 against 106.442; property tax 0.69% against 0.77%.
Los Angeles vs San Diego — San Diego by $898 a year. Price level 113.566 against 111.887; property tax 0.69% against 0.70%.
Los Angeles vs Sacramento — Sacramento by $3,757 a year. Price level 113.566 against 106.67; property tax 0.69% against 0.77%.
Los Angeles vs San Jose — San Jose by $1,710 a year. Price level 113.566 against 110.423; property tax 0.69% against 0.71%.
Fresno vs Los Angeles — Fresno by $6,813 a year. Price level 102.158 against 113.566; property tax 0.74% against 0.69%.
Bakersfield vs Los Angeles — Bakersfield by $7,008 a year. Price level 100.886 against 113.566; property tax 0.91% against 0.69%.
Los Angeles vs Oxnard — Oxnard by $1,703 a year. Price level 113.566 against 110.534; property tax 0.69% against 0.69%.
Los Angeles vs Stockton — Stockton by $4,775 a year. Price level 113.566 against 105.089; property tax 0.69% against 0.76%.
Los Angeles vs Modesto — Modesto by $5,626 a year. Price level 113.566 against 104.108; property tax 0.69% against 0.71%.
Los Angeles vs Santa Rosa — Santa Rosa by $3,264 a year. Price level 113.566 against 107.784; property tax 0.69% against 0.72%.
Los Angeles vs Visalia — Visalia by $8,479 a year. Price level 113.566 against 99.825; property tax 0.69% against 0.73%.
Los Angeles vs Vallejo — Vallejo by $2,725 a year. Price level 113.566 against 108.479; property tax 0.69% against 0.75%.
Los Angeles vs Santa Maria — Santa Maria by $2,848 a year. Price level 113.566 against 108.798; property tax 0.69% against 0.66%.
Los Angeles vs Salinas — Salinas by $2,703 a year. Price level 113.566 against 109.042; property tax 0.69% against 0.66%.
Los Angeles vs Merced — Merced by $9,829 a year. Price level 113.566 against 98.275; property tax 0.69% against 0.68%.
Los Angeles vs San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo by $2,813 a year. Price level 113.566 against 108.596; property tax 0.69% against 0.70%.
Los Angeles vs Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz by $2,340 a year. Price level 113.566 against 109.896; property tax 0.69% against 0.62%.
Chico vs Los Angeles — Chico by $7,673 a year. Price level 101.197 against 113.566; property tax 0.69% against 0.69%.
Los Angeles vs Yuba City — Yuba City by $5,321 a year. Price level 113.566 against 104.233; property tax 0.69% against 0.77%.
Los Angeles vs Redding — Redding by $7,978 a year. Price level 113.566 against 100.684; property tax 0.69% against 0.70%.
El Centro vs Los Angeles — El Centro by $11,504 a year. Price level 95.174 against 113.566; property tax 0.84% against 0.69%.
Hanford vs Los Angeles — Hanford by $7,145 a year. Price level 101.612 against 113.566; property tax 0.75% against 0.69%.
Los Angeles vs Napa — Napa by $534 a year. Price level 113.566 against 112.554; property tax 0.69% against 0.70%.
And 276 more pairs of California cities, each with its own page.
Every California city, and what it can be compared with
The areas themselves, largest first. Each line has what defines that city on the two measures that matter here, and then every comparison it takes part in:
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim — 13.0m people across 2 counties. Price level 113.566, housing 170.433, property tax 0.69%. Compared with San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont — 4.7m people across 5 counties. Price level 115.613, housing 194.718, property tax 0.73%. Compared with Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario — 4.6m people across 2 counties. Price level 106.442, housing 129.312, property tax 0.77%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad — 3.3m people across 1 county. Price level 111.887, housing 179.267, property tax 0.70%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom — 2.4m people across 4 counties. Price level 106.67, housing 130.23, property tax 0.77%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara — 2.0m people across 2 counties. Price level 110.423, housing 211.901, property tax 0.71%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Fresno — 1.2m people across 2 counties. Price level 102.158, housing 95.725, property tax 0.74%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Bakersfield-Delano — 910k people across 1 county. Price level 100.886, housing 90.291, property tax 0.91%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura — 838k people across 1 county. Price level 110.534, housing 171.096, property tax 0.69%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Stockton-Lodi — 787k people across 1 county. Price level 105.089, housing 115.614, property tax 0.76%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Modesto — 552k people across 1 county. Price level 104.108, housing 108.476, property tax 0.71%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma — 486k people across 1 county. Price level 107.784, housing 139.569, property tax 0.72%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Visalia — 476k people across 1 county. Price level 99.825, housing 84.053, property tax 0.73%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Vallejo — 451k people across 1 county. Price level 108.479, housing 142.042, property tax 0.75%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara — 444k people across 1 county. Price level 108.798, housing 151.394, property tax 0.66%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Salinas — 436k people across 1 county. Price level 109.042, housing 145.669, property tax 0.66%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Merced — 286k people across 1 county. Price level 98.275, housing 78.63, property tax 0.68%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles — 281k people across 1 county. Price level 108.596, housing 144.362, property tax 0.70%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville — 266k people across 1 county. Price level 109.896, housing 164.328, property tax 0.62%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Chico — 209k people across 1 county. Price level 101.197, housing 91.946, property tax 0.69%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Yuba City — 182k people across 2 counties. Price level 104.233, housing 108.279, property tax 0.77%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Redding, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
Redding — 182k people across 1 county. Price level 100.684, housing 89.366, property tax 0.70%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, El Centro, Hanford, Napa.
El Centro — 179k people across 1 county. Price level 95.174, housing 66.274, property tax 0.84%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, Hanford, Napa.
Hanford-Corcoran — 153k people across 1 county. Price level 101.612, housing 93.497, property tax 0.75%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Napa.
Napa — 136k people across 1 county. Price level 112.554, housing 197.44, property tax 0.70%. Compared with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Visalia, Vallejo, Santa Maria, Salinas, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Chico, Yuba City, Redding, El Centro, Hanford.
The counties behind each rate
Nobody pays a metropolitan area's property tax rate. They pay their county's, and the figures above are those county rates averaged and weighted by how many homes each county holds. Opened up:
Los Angeles averages 0.69% across 2 counties: Los Angeles County 0.69%, Orange County 0.67%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.67% in Orange County to 0.69% in Los Angeles County, which is $113 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
San Francisco averages 0.73% across 5 counties: Alameda County 0.76%, Contra Costa County 0.83%, San Francisco County 0.68%, San Mateo County 0.61%, Marin County 0.72%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.61% in San Mateo County to 0.83% in Contra Costa County, which is $870 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
Riverside averages 0.77% across 2 counties: Riverside County 0.82%, San Bernardino County 0.70%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.70% in San Bernardino County to 0.82% in Riverside County, which is $466 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
San Diego averages 0.70% across 1 county: San Diego County 0.70%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Sacramento averages 0.77% across 4 counties: Sacramento County 0.76%, Placer County 0.85%, El Dorado County 0.70%, Yolo County 0.77%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.70% in El Dorado County to 0.85% in Placer County, which is $584 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
San Jose averages 0.71% across 2 counties: Santa Clara County 0.71%, San Benito County 0.81%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.71% in Santa Clara County to 0.81% in San Benito County, which is $410 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
Fresno averages 0.74% across 2 counties: Fresno County 0.75%, Madera County 0.70%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.70% in Madera County to 0.75% in Fresno County, which is $182 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
Bakersfield averages 0.91% across 1 county: Kern County 0.91%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Oxnard averages 0.69% across 1 county: Ventura County 0.69%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Stockton averages 0.76% across 1 county: San Joaquin County 0.76%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Modesto averages 0.71% across 1 county: Stanislaus County 0.71%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Santa Rosa averages 0.72% across 1 county: Sonoma County 0.72%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Visalia averages 0.73% across 1 county: Tulare County 0.73%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Vallejo averages 0.75% across 1 county: Solano County 0.75%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Santa Maria averages 0.66% across 1 county: Santa Barbara County 0.66%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Salinas averages 0.66% across 1 county: Monterey County 0.66%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Merced averages 0.68% across 1 county: Merced County 0.68%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
San Luis Obispo averages 0.70% across 1 county: San Luis Obispo County 0.70%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Santa Cruz averages 0.62% across 1 county: Santa Cruz County 0.62%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Chico averages 0.69% across 1 county: Butte County 0.69%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Yuba City averages 0.77% across 2 counties: Sutter County 0.78%, Yuba County 0.75%. Inside the area the rate runs from 0.75% in Yuba County to 0.78% in Sutter County, which is $100 a year on a $400,000 home — a real spread inside a single labour market.
Redding averages 0.70% across 1 county: Shasta County 0.70%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
El Centro averages 0.84% across 1 county: Imperial County 0.84%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Hanford averages 0.75% across 1 county: Kings County 0.75%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Napa averages 0.70% across 1 county: Napa County 0.70%. One county, so the area rate is that county's rate exactly — no averaging involved.
Which is the limitation of every figure on this page, stated rather than buried: an area rate is an average, and your address decides what you actually pay. The county pages linked above carry the rate, the assessment basis and the source for each one.
Where California cities sit among the 380 in the country
A state ranking answers "where in California". It does not answer whether California is an expensive place to begin with, and the two questions have different answers often enough to be worth separating.
Against all 380 metropolitan areas the Bureau of Economic Analysis prices, San Francisco ranks 1 and El Centro ranks 159, counting from the most expensive. The national median area sits at 93.492 — Monroe — so 25 of these 25 California areas are dearer than the typical American metropolitan area and 0 are cheaper.
San Francisco is in the most expensive tenth of the country, which is worth knowing before reading its position in the state table as merely "the dear one".
The distinction matters for a specific reason. Everything on this page holds the income tax constant because these cities share a state; the moment a move crosses a state line that stops being true, and the comparison becomes the harder one — which is what California against every other state is for.
The tax that is the same in all 25
Worth spelling out, because it is what makes the ranking above readable at all. On $100,000, in every one of these areas:
Federal income tax — $13,170. Set by Congress, identical everywhere in the United States.
Social Security and Medicare — $7,650. Also federal, and also flat across the country up to the Social Security ceiling.
California income tax — $5,055. One set of brackets for the whole state, one standard deduction, applied identically in every city on this page.
Local income tax — $0. California does not permit counties, cities or school districts to levy their own. That is not a modelling shortcut, it is the law, and it is the condition on which these pages get published: in the eleven states that do permit it, the levying jurisdictions do not line up with metropolitan areas and no honest rate can be assigned.
Which leaves property tax as the only tax in the whole comparison that moves — from $2,484 to $3,648 a year on the same $400,000 home — and the price level as the only other thing. Two variables, both measured, both sourced. It is as clean as a cost-of-living comparison gets.
El Centro stays on top whether you rent or buy
A ranking built on one salary and one house value is worth exactly as much as its assumptions, so here are the same 25 areas resolved again with those assumptions changed.
Renting, with no property tax at all: El Centro still leads, by $13,769 over San Francisco. The order does not depend on owning a house.
On $60,000 instead of $100,000: El Centro still leads. The gap narrows to $8,067 — smaller in dollars, but a larger share of a smaller salary.
On $250,000: El Centro still leads, and by $29,508 — the spread widens with income, because the price level applies to everything you have left after tax.
This is the same discipline applied to a single published figure elsewhere on this site: a number without its range is half a number. Every page linked above lets you set your own salary, your own house and your own horizon, and recomputes the whole comparison rather than scaling it.
How this is worked out, and what it does not claim
Every row is the same calculation: gross salary in, federal income tax and FICA out, California income tax out, property tax on a $400,000 home out — then what is left divided by that area's price level, so the figure is what the money buys rather than what the payslip says.
The price index is the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity, 2024, published per metropolitan area with a documented method and broken into housing, goods, utilities and services. Which counties make up each area comes from the Census Bureau delineation file, joined by CBSA code and never by name — there are thirty "Washington County" in the United States and a join on names would have failed silently.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area, 2024 (released 19 February 2026) — read 2026-09-10. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area
US Census Bureau — Core Based Statistical Areas delineation file, 2023 (which counties form each metropolitan area) — read 2026-09-10. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/demo/metro-micro/delineation-files.html
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey — county effective property tax rates and housing units — read 2026-08-31. https://data.census.gov/
What it does not claim: that the city at the top is the better place to live. This measures what a salary buys. Schools, the commute, the weather and how far you are from your family are not in it, and on a move inside one state they are usually what actually decides it.
It also assumes one salary, one house value and a buyer rather than a renter. Every page linked above lets you change all three, and the answer moves with them — on some pairs enough to change which city comes out ahead.
Where to go next
Questions
- Which city in California leaves you best off?
- El Centro, at $74,353 of purchasing power on $100,000 with a $400,000 home — $12,781 a year more than San Francisco at the other end of the table. Because the income tax is identical everywhere in California, that ranking is made of two things only: the price level and property tax.
- Which is the cheapest city in California?
- El Centro, at 95.174 on the Bureau of Economic Analysis price index where 100 is the US average, against 115.613 in San Francisco. Cheapest is not the same as best off, though: property tax is set separately and can move a household by $421 a year on the same house.
- Does income tax differ between cities in California?
- No. California sets one set of brackets for the whole state, and it does not let counties or cities levy their own income tax. On $100,000 the bill is federal $13,170, FICA $7,650 and state $5,055 in every one of these 25 areas. That is what makes comparing them clean.
- How much does cost of living vary inside California?
- From 95.174 to 115.613 on the price index — 20.4 points between El Centro and San Francisco. In take-home terms that is $12,781 a year of purchasing power on the same salary.
- How many California city comparisons are there?
- 300, one page each, every pair of the 25 metropolitan areas the Bureau of Economic Analysis prices in California. Each resolves the same way — income tax, property tax and price level — and each shows the break-even salary in both directions.