City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 1.2% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,200 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Harrisburg, PA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Visalia, CA ($108,592 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,191 in Visalia | $98,823 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
65 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Harrisburg → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,033 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,055 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,959 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,973 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,410 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $98,430 | $97,271 (+26.1%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $126,170 | $124,685 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $79,400 | $78,465 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $125,180 | $123,707 (+27.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.