City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 7.3% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $107,300 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,136 a month in Huntsville, AL and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Huntsville, AL to Visalia, CA ($110,847 → $106,973), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,256 in Visalia | $93,235 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
48 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Visalia, CA | Real change, Huntsville → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,033 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,055 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,959 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,973 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $126,410 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $98,430 | $91,771 (+47.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $126,170 | $117,635 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $79,400 | $74,029 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $125,180 | $116,712 (+51.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.