City comparison
Chattanooga, TN 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 9.1% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $109,100 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,263 a month in Chattanooga, TN versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Chattanooga, TN | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,141 in Visalia | $91,624 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
97 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Visalia, CA | Real change, Chattanooga → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,160 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $126,170 | $115,602 (+8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $79,400 | $72,750 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $125,180 | $114,695 (+43.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.