City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 5.7% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $105,700 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 $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Oxnard, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- 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
| New Haven, CT | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,714 in Oxnard | $94,594 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
35 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Oxnard, CA | Real change, New Haven → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $99,420 | $94,046 (+17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $159,430 | $150,812 (+13.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $90,340 | $85,457 (−10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $131,160 | $124,070 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.