City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 9.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $109,800 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 $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Oxnard, CA ($109,246 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- 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
| Colorado Springs, CO | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,758 in Oxnard | $91,110 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
24 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $71,957 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $87,061 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $104,349 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $124,085 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $146,632 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $99,420 | $90,581 (+48.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $159,430 | $145,256 (+8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $90,340 | $82,308 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $131,160 | $119,499 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.