City comparison
Ogden, UT vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ogden, UT (100.3) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ogden, UT goes as far as $99,500 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Ogden, UT to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.0% in real buying power.
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ogden, UT | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,478 in Visalia | $100,525 in Ogden |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,281/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,900 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Ogden, UT MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ogden, UT and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ogden | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ogden, UT → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
70 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Ogden, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ogden, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ogden, UT to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ogden, UT | Visalia, CA | Real change, Ogden → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | +1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | +1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | +1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | +1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | +1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ogden, UT | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Ogden dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,910 | $98,430 | $98,947 (+54.8%) |
| Software Developers | $109,880 | $126,170 | $126,832 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,010 | $79,400 | $79,817 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,840 | $125,180 | $125,837 (+53.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.