City comparison
Tulsa, OK vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 11.9% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $111,900 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Tulsa, OK to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +11.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (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
| Tulsa, OK | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,894 in Visalia | $89,370 in Tulsa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $987/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,670 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Tulsa, OK and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tulsa | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.2 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 73.9 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tulsa, OK → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
38 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tulsa, OK | Visalia, CA | Real change, Tulsa → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tulsa, OK | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Tulsa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,220 | $98,430 | $87,967 (+82.4%) |
| Software Developers | $108,730 | $126,170 | $112,759 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,320 | $79,400 | $70,960 (−12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,790 | $125,180 | $111,874 (+31.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.