City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 1.5% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $101,500 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Boise City, ID to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,457 in Visalia | $98,563 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
64 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
73 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Visalia, CA | Real change, Boise City → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,020 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $126,170 | $124,358 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $79,400 | $78,259 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $125,180 | $123,382 (+26.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.