Sacramento pays $4K more on household bills than US average, report says. See how CA compares

Brianna Taylor
·3 min read
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The Sacramento River, swollen from recent storms, flows under the Tower Bridge as the setting sun reflects off its golden paint on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. A nearby gauge indicated the river was a 27.7 feet, still below monitor stage.

Sacramento city residents pay thousands of dollars more per year to keep the lights on and the internet working compared to the rest of the U.S. — and it’s still cheaper than what many Californians are charged to live in the state.

In the city, a typical home dishes out nearly $2,385 per month or $28,620 per year on household expenses like mortgage, rent, loans utilities and insurance, according to a report from DoxoInsights. The area is ranked No. 331 out of 431 California cities with the most expensive household bills.

The U.S. bill pay company’s 2023 State by State Bill Pay Market report examined what people consider common household bills, payment activity and data from the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct its analysis.

On average, U.S. households spend $24,557 per year on “the most essential” household bills, which is roughly $4,000 less than what someone in Sacramento pays.

How does Sacramento compare to California counties?

Sacramento County is the 25th most expensive county for household bills. There are 58 counties in California, but data was not available for Alpine, Modoc and Sierra counties.

Residents pay $2,420 per month or $29,044 per year.

The median household income is $76,422, according to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data, compared to the U.S. median household income of $69,021. DoxoInsights’ estimation is slightly lower, making bills in Sacramento 39% of an annual $73,839, the company estimated.

Marin, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties are the three most expensive counties with household bills ranging between nearly $3,600 and $3,900 per month.

On average, people living in Del Norte, Trinity and Tehama counties don’t pay more than roughly $1,800 per month.

Here’s a breakdown of how bills in Sacramento County compare to the U.S., with estimates from DoxoInsights. Real estate marketplace Zillow, which uses a different equation to calculate costs, estimated a higher median monthly rent price of $2,050 for all types of properties in Sacramento.

Rent

  • Sacramento County: $1,455

  • Nationwide: $1,191

Mortgage

  • Sacramento County: $1,941

  • Nationwide: $1,321

Car loan

  • Sacramento County: $537

  • Nationwide: $467

Utilities (water, gas, electric, garbage)

  • Sacramento County: $284

  • Nationwide: $351

Car insurance

  • Sacramento County: $211

  • Nationwide: $207

Health insurance

Sacramento County: $184

Nationwide: $120

Phone

Sacramento County: $80

Nationwide: $119

Cable and wifi

  • Sacramento County: $94

  • Nationwide: $118

Life insurance

  • Sacramento County: $101

  • Nationwide: $89

Alarm (security)

  • Sacramento County: $82

  • Nationwide: $84

How California compares to other states

California is the second most expensive state in the U.S. for household expenses, according to DoxoInsights, trailing closely behind Hawaii.

New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland are among the most expensive states, while West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky are noted as the most affordable.

Californians spend $2,838 per month or $34,055 per year on household bills. That’s $9,498 more per year than the rest of the U.S.

Here’s how much residents spend on monthly bills, according to Doxoinsights:

  • Rent - $1,762

  • Mortgage - $2,402

  • Car loan - $532

  • Utilities (water, gas, electric, garbage) - $368

  • Car insurance - $196

  • Health insurance - $132

  • Phone - $114

  • Cable and wifi - $117

  • Life insurance - $110

  • Alarm (security) - $101

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.