City comparison
Akron, OH vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 6.9% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $106,900 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Akron, OH to Visalia, CA ($111,138 → $106,973), while prices change by +6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,913 in Visalia | $93,534 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
49 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Visalia, CA | Real change, Akron → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,033 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,055 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,959 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,973 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $126,410 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $98,430 | $92,065 (+17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $126,170 | $118,011 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $79,400 | $74,266 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $125,180 | $117,085 (+45.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.