City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Greeley, CO (100.2) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Greeley, CO goes as far as $99,600 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,238 a month in Greeley, CO versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Greeley, CO and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Greeley, CO to Visalia, CA ($118,675 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Greeley, CO | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,650 in Visalia | $100,352 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,123/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 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
70 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Greeley, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
68 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Visalia, CA | Real change, Greeley → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,033 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,055 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,959 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,973 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $126,410 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $120,780 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $126,170 | $126,614 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $79,400 | $79,679 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $125,180 | $125,620 (+30.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.