City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 23.7% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $123,700 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,383 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Little Rock, AR.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Little Rock, AR to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +23.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Little Rock, AR | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $123,690 in Oxnard | $80,848 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,383/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +23.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,383/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Little Rock → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $99,420 | $80,379 (+37.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $159,430 | $128,895 (+23.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $90,340 | $73,038 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $131,160 | $106,040 (+30.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.