City comparison
Orlando, FL 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 9.0% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $109,000 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 $1,731 in Orlando, FL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 26% in Orlando, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Orlando, FL to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.0% in real buying power.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- 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
| Orlando, FL | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,989 in Oxnard | $91,753 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Orlando, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Orlando, FL 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 Orlando, FL to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Orlando → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $129,440 | $130,440 | $119,682 (−7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $159,430 | $146,281 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $90,340 | $82,889 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $131,160 | $120,343 (+44.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.