City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 5.8% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $105,800 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.6% moving from Bremerton, WA to Visalia, CA ($119,630 → $106,973), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,525 in Visalia | $105,792 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
87 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Bremerton → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,033 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,055 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,959 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,973 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,410 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $98,430 | $104,131 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $126,170 | $133,478 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $79,400 | $83,999 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $125,180 | $132,431 (+23.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.