City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Oklahoma City, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 15.2% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $115,200 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,356 a month in Modesto, CA versus $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Modesto, CA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −20.0% moving from Modesto, CA to Oklahoma City, OK ($133,060 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Modesto, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 90.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,841 in Oklahoma City | $115,154 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $1,017/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $47,230 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Oklahoma City, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 73.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 74.1 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 90.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
Oklahoma City, OK → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Oklahoma City, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Oklahoma City, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | Real change, Modesto → Oklahoma City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $61,722 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $74,678 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,508 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,437 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $125,776 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $82,490 | — |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $122,390 | $140,936 (+17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $77,280 | $88,991 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $82,920 | $95,485 (−28.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.