Cost of living in Sacramento: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Sacramento sits 6.7% above the US average. For the Sacramento, CA metro area, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) in 2024 comes to 106.7, with the US at 100, while housing alone reaches 130.2.
- Level of prices
- 106.7US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 130.2 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Sacramento
A regional price parity puts the cost of one basket of goods and services in a given place beside the US average, set at 100. The Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area includes Sacramento, and BEA prices that area as a whole. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 151.3, or 51.3% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Sacramento, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 106.7 | 110.7 | +6.7% |
| Goods | 105.2 | 106.1 | +5.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 130.2 | 154.3 | +30.2% |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 158.9 | +51.3% |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.6 | +0.3% |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S.), 2024 regional price parities for metro areas and states. BEA regional price parities
Sacramento rent
The typical asking rent in Sacramento for homes listed now is $2,045 a month, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), +1.2% on a year. In the US it is $1,932. Census puts median gross rent at $1,846, a figure that covers every renting household rather than new leases only. The asking rent for twelve months comes to 27% of median household income.
| Rent | Sacramento | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $2,045 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +1.2% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,846 | $1,487 |
| A year of asking rent, share of the median income | 27% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Sacramento home prices
According to the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), which measures the value of a typical home at the middle of the market, a typical home in Sacramento was valued at $470,552 in September 2026. Compared with a year earlier, that figure is −0.6%; the US figure is $366,157. That equals 5.1 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Sacramento | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $470,552 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | −0.6% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +64.0% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 5.1 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 19.2 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart since 2000: Sacramento housing market.
Salary you need to live in Sacramento
What salary in Sacramento buys what your pay buys now comes down to two questions: the place you live, and the amount you earn.
- Moving from
- Salary
The method plus every city side by side: city cost of living comparison.
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Sacramento cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent level | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
| Bakersfield | 100.9 | 90.3 | $1,901 | $385,686 |
Price levels: BEA regional price parities for 2024, US = 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: cost of living by city. All states: state-by-state cost of living.