Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Favorable
Cost Index: 113.6 → 106.7
Rent Delta: -$346/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 7% lower cost of living
  • + $346/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Moving from Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 113.6 to 106.7 (100 = US average), so a Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary needs to be multiplied by 0.94 to hold the same purchasing power in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,601/month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to $2,255/month in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom - a lower monthly bill of $346, or $4,152/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim versus $81,568 in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom - a raw gap of $708 lower. The Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom labor market has 1,060,500 tracked jobs against 6,167,970 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom are 477 and 477 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 21.5:1 at origin versus 21.5:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $17,920/year in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim versus $17,920/year in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom. Our composite verdict - Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 113.6
RPP 106.7
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,601/mo
$2,255/mo
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
💼 Wages
$82,276
$81,568
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
🔒 Crime
477 per 100K
477 per 100K
Tie
🎓 Schools
21.5:1
21.5:1
Tie
👶 Childcare
$17,920/yr
$17,920/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
17550 violations
17550 violations
Tie

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to see what you'd need to earn in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
-

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom more expensive than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom has an RPP of 106.7 compared to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim's 113.6 (100 = national average). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom is $2,255/mo vs $2,601/mo in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim.
What are salaries like in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom compared to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The median salary in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom is $81,568 compared to $82,276 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. That's a -$708 difference.
Is Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom safer than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The violent crime rate near Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom is 477 per 100K vs 477 per 100K near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (state-level data). Both areas have similar crime rates.
How much would I need to earn in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom to match my Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salary by 0.94. For example, a $75,000 salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim would need to be $70,446 in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Favorable" means the destination edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

Explore PlainRelocate

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)