City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 18.8% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $118,800 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,688 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Louisville, KY to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,759 in Oxnard | $84,204 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,688/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,688/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Louisville → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,760 | $130,440 | $109,836 (+2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $159,430 | $134,246 (+21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $90,340 | $76,070 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $131,160 | $110,442 (+30.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.