City comparison
Boston, MA vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 2.1% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $102,100 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $2,250 in Oxnard, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 36% in Oxnard, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Boston, MA to Oxnard, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,095 in Oxnard | $97,948 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
45 Fair offer
Oxnard, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Boston → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $99,420 | $97,380 (−0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $159,430 | $156,159 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $90,340 | $88,486 (−11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $131,160 | $128,469 (+21.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.