City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 5.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $105,400 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,077 a month in Pittsburgh, PA and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.8% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Visalia, CA ($110,047 → $106,973), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,444 in Visalia | $94,837 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
53 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Pittsburgh → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $62,033 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $75,055 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $89,959 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $106,973 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $126,410 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $98,430 | $93,348 (+21.9%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $126,170 | $119,656 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $79,400 | $75,301 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $125,180 | $118,717 (+44.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.