City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 28.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $128,600 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Brownsville, TX to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +28.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.3% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $128,565 in Oxnard | $77,781 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −22.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +28.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Brownsville → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $99,420 | $77,330 (+22.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $159,430 | $124,007 (+15.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $90,340 | $70,268 (+5.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $131,160 | $102,018 (+25.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.