City comparison
Las Vegas, NV vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 10.3% higher than in Las Vegas, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Las Vegas, NV would need about $110,300 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 $1,478 in Las Vegas, NV. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 22% in Las Vegas, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Las Vegas, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.1% moving from Las Vegas, NV to Oxnard, CA ($108,719 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
- 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
| Las Vegas, NV | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,297 in Oxnard | $90,664 in Las Vegas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Las Vegas | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.5 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.6 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Las Vegas, NV → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
22 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Las Vegas, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Las Vegas, NV is in the Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Las Vegas, NV to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Las Vegas, NV | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Las Vegas → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,046 | $71,957 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,280 | $87,061 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,427 | $104,349 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,719 | $124,085 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,473 | $146,632 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Las Vegas, NV | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Las Vegas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,040 | $99,420 | $90,139 (+38.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,940 | $159,430 | $144,546 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,530 | $90,340 | $81,906 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,940 | $131,160 | $118,915 (+14.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.