Rank #19 of 33
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
9.4
Tacos per hour at the local median wage
$3.00
Avg taco price
$28.31
Median hourly wage (2024)
$3.50
Fast-casual taqueria
$2.49
Taco Bell crunchy taco
Sacramento sits above the national average. An hour of local work buys 9.4 tacos here, compared with 9.3 tacos per hour across the 33-city index (+0.1 vs national average).
Local note
Sacramento's taco scene blends Central Valley Mexican-American traditions with a steady wave of newer Bay Area–influenced operators. Prices reflect California's general cost premium but remain noticeably below the Bay Area, with mid-$3 standard at established taquerias.
Where the numbers come from
Fast-casual: Chando's Tacos (~$3.92 standard, $2.50 Taco Tuesday), California Street Tacos, Authentic Street Taco. Chain: Taco Bell crunchy taco $2.49 (CA FAST Act premium).
Average taco price ($3.00) is $0.23 above the national average of $2.77.
How this is calculated. Tacos per hour = median hourly wage ÷ average taco price.
Average taco price is the mean of the fast-casual taqueria anchor and the local Taco Bell crunchy taco price.
Wages come from BLS OEWS, May 2024, MSA-level median for all occupations.
Full methodology.