City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 17.8% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $117,800 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Shreveport, LA to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.7% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much 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
| Shreveport, LA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,765 in Visalia | $84,915 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
38 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Shreveport, LA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Shreveport → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −14.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −14.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −14.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −14.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −14.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $98,430 | $83,581 (+35.1%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $126,170 | $107,137 (+10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $79,400 | $67,422 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $125,180 | $106,296 (+32.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.