City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 15.1% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $115,100 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Springfield, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Oxnard, CA to Springfield, MA ($124,085 → $120,094), while prices change by −13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,906 in Springfield | $115,066 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
100 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
20 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Oxnard → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,642 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,260 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,992 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,094 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,915 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,440 | $128,910 | $148,332 (+13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $127,740 | $146,986 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $92,010 | $105,873 (+17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $98,410 | $113,237 (−13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.