City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 1.2% higher than in Oxnard, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Oxnard, CA would need about $101,200 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $2,250 in Oxnard, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 36% in Oxnard, 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 −2.0% moving from Oxnard, CA to San Diego, CA ($124,085 → $121,585), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,224 in San Diego | $98,791 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → San Diego, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
43 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Oxnard, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Oxnard → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $70,507 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $85,307 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $102,246 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $121,585 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $143,677 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $97,000 | $95,827 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $163,270 | $161,296 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $96,340 | $95,175 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $139,520 | $137,833 (+5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.