City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 18.1% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $118,100 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Oxnard, CA to Scranton, PA ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −15.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.3% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $84,640 in Scranton | $118,147 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
20 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Oxnard → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $76,590 | $90,489 (−9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $119,960 | $141,730 (−11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $70,480 | $83,270 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $82,650 | $97,649 (−25.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.