City comparison
Seattle, WA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.3% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $111,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.6% moving from Seattle, WA to Visalia, CA ($119,630 → $106,973), while prices change by −10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
- 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
| Seattle, WA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,825 in Visalia | $111,328 in Seattle |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,146/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $72,610 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Seattle | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 106.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 111.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Seattle, WA → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Seattle, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Seattle, WA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Seattle, WA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Seattle → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,033 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,055 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,959 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,973 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,410 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Seattle, WA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Seattle dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,920 | $98,430 | $109,580 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $167,280 | $126,170 | $140,462 (−16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,370 | $79,400 | $88,394 (−11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,260 | $125,180 | $139,360 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.