Cost of Living in Sacramento, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Sacramento, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 536,449
- Median household income
- $91,387
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 106.7
- Unemployment rate
- 6.2%
Is Sacramento a good place to live?
Sacramento sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 72 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Sacramento keeps $6,180 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living7% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,790 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,634 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Sacramento
Prices in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area run 7% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 51% above the US average.
- Housing30% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
- Utilities51% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items7% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,790 | $21,480 |
| Food | $519 | $6,228 |
| Transportation | $410 | $4,920 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $394 | $4,728 |
| Total before taxes | $3,466 | $41,592 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Sacramento | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,739 | $1,742 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,790 | $1,793 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,198 | $2,201 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,883 | $2,887 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,324 | $3,329 |
Living in Sacramento
How Sacramento compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Sacramento | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,387 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $515,800 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,846 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 49.2% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 37.6% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 36.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 25.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16.2% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 2.2% | 3.7% |
Home internet
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Sacramento, led by Xfinity, unWired Broadband, T-Mobile, Verizon. Fiber reaches 51.5% of homes and 95.1% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Sacramento
Pros and cons of living in Sacramento
Pros
- Fast home internet. 95.1% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $91,387, against $81,604 nationally.
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.2%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,846 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 7% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in Sacramento
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $59,750
- Federal income tax
- −$4,990
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,348
- State income tax
- −$1,634
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$21,480
- Everyday costs
- −$20,118
a year, or $515 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $178,540 | $77,004 |
| Registered nurse | $171,460 | $72,916 |
| Software engineer | $139,640 | $54,539 |
| Project manager | $124,350 | $45,710 |
| Teacher | $103,598 | $33,361 |
| Accountant | $92,110 | $26,497 |
| Electrician | $74,830 | $16,128 |
| Carpenter | $74,440 | $15,890 |
| Medical assistant | $61,970 | $7,802 |
| Truck driver | $60,810 | $6,955 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Sacramento on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $14,413
- Civil engineer $49,060
- Data scientist $33,422
- Dental assistant $5,325
- Dental hygienist $44,664
- Dentist $72,361
- Diesel mechanic $14,803
- Financial analyst $33,589
- Firefighter $27,674
- HVAC technician $11,147
- Licensed practical nurse $20,200
- Lineman $47,333
- Mechanical engineer $43,741
- Nurse practitioner $73,234
- Nursing assistant −$2,761
- Occupational therapist $44,803
- Paralegal $18,395
- Paramedic $20,116
- Pharmacist $73,620
- Pharmacy technician $5,245
- Physical therapist $49,799
- Physician assistant $67,146
- Plumber $10,126
- Police officer $38,059
- Radiologic technologist $52,369
- Respiratory therapist $51,532
- Social worker $15,398
- Speech-language pathologist $46,871
- Veterinarian $69,335
- Welder $4,383
Compare Sacramento with other cities
Compare Sacramento with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Sacramento
13 licensed interstate movers are based in Sacramento, and 6 more elsewhere in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Sacramento, CA a good place to live?
Sacramento sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 72 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $59,750 and keeps $6,180 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Sacramento?
Prices in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area are 7% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,790 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,677 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Sacramento?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $51,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area earns $59,750.
What is the average rent in Sacramento?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,739 for a studio, $1,790 for a 1-bedroom and $2,198 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Sacramento at $1,846 a month (2024).
Does Sacramento have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $59,750, California state income tax comes to about $1,634 a year. Sacramento has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Sacramento?
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Sacramento, led by Xfinity, unWired Broadband, T-Mobile, Verizon. 51.5% of homes can get fiber and 95.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate