City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs San Luis Obispo, 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 1.8% higher than in San Luis Obispo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in San Luis Obispo, CA would need about $101,800 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 $1,914 in San Luis Obispo, CA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 31% in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Oxnard, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA changes real buying power by +1.8%, purely from prices.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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 Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,247 in San Luis Obispo | $101,785 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Oxnard, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
46 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Oxnard → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,440 | $133,100 | $135,475 (+3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $135,020 | $137,430 (−13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $88,160 | $89,733 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $138,820 | $141,297 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.