City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 3.4% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $103,400 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Asheville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Asheville, NC to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (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
| Asheville, NC | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,439 in Visalia | $96,675 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
58 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Asheville, NC 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 Asheville, NC to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Visalia, CA | Real change, Asheville → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $98,430 | $95,157 (+90.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $126,170 | $121,975 (−9.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $79,400 | $76,760 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $125,180 | $121,018 (+48.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.