City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 6.0% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,000 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.2% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Visalia, CA ($121,785 → $106,973), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.1% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,004 in Visalia | $94,336 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
51 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
88 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Visalia, CA | Real change, Hagerstown → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,033 | −17.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,055 | −17.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,959 | −17.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,973 | −17.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,410 | −17.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $126,170 | $119,024 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $79,400 | $74,903 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $125,180 | $118,090 (+27.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.