City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 12.3% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $112,300 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Boise City, ID to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.8% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,342 in Oxnard | $89,014 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Boise City → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $99,420 | $88,498 (+44.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $159,430 | $141,915 (+7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $90,340 | $80,415 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $131,160 | $116,751 (+19.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.