City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 7.6% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $107,600 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 $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.3% moving from Hartford, CT to Oxnard, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,580 in Oxnard | $92,954 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
30 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Hartford → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $99,420 | $92,415 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $159,430 | $148,197 (+11.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $90,340 | $83,975 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $131,160 | $121,919 (+20.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.