City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Salinas, 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 1.4% higher than in Salinas, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Salinas, CA would need about $101,400 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA and $2,232 in Salinas, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Oxnard, CA to Salinas, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.7% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,650 in Salinas | $101,368 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Salinas, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
56 Fair offer
Salinas, CA → Oxnard, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
47 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Salinas, CA | Real change, Oxnard → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,440 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $135,160 | $137,009 (−14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $83,810 | $84,957 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $134,910 | $136,756 (+4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.