City comparison
Vallejo, CA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.7% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $108,700 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −19.6% moving from Vallejo, CA to Visalia, CA ($133,060 → $106,973), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.6% in real buying power.
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (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
| Vallejo, CA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,022 in Visalia | $108,669 in Vallejo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,705/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,620 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Vallejo, CA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Vallejo, CA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Vallejo | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 142.0 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 155.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Vallejo, CA → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
96 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
40 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Vallejo, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Vallejo, CA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Vallejo, CA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Vallejo → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $62,033 | −12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $75,055 | −12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $89,959 | −12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $106,973 | −12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $126,410 | −12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Vallejo, CA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Vallejo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $137,160 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $136,930 | $126,170 | $137,108 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,800 | $79,400 | $86,283 (−9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $203,290 | $125,180 | $136,032 (−33.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.