City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 19.9% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $119,900 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Memphis, TN to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,912 in Oxnard | $83,394 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Memphis → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,370 | $130,440 | $108,779 (+11.7%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $159,430 | $132,955 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $90,340 | $75,338 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $131,160 | $109,380 (+34.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.