City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Ann Arbor, MI are 1.1% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $101,100 in Ann Arbor, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Ann Arbor, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Visalia, CA ($117,402 → $106,973), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Ann Arbor, MI | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,954 in Visalia | $101,057 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
72 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Visalia, CA | Real change, Ann Arbor → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,033 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,055 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,959 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,973 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,410 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $98,430 | $99,470 (+55.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $126,170 | $127,503 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,400 | $80,239 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $125,180 | $126,503 (+22.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.