City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 20.3% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $120,300 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Augusta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Augusta, GA to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,272 in Oxnard | $83,145 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Augusta → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,110 | $130,440 | $108,454 (+2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $159,430 | $132,557 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $90,340 | $75,113 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $131,160 | $109,052 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.