City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 15.9% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $115,900 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Oxnard, CA ($110,865 → $124,085), while prices change by +15.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
- 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
| Cincinnati, OH | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,900 in Oxnard | $86,281 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.7%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Cincinnati → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $71,957 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $87,061 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $104,349 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $124,085 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $146,632 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $114,300 | $130,440 | $112,545 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $159,430 | $137,558 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $90,340 | $77,946 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $131,160 | $113,166 (+35.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.