City comparison
Crestview, FL vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 2.9% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $102,900 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Crestview, FL versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Crestview, FL and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Crestview, FL to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,879 in Visalia | $97,201 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, FL 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 Crestview, FL to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Visalia, CA | Real change, Crestview → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $98,430 | $95,675 (+58.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $126,170 | $122,639 (−6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $79,400 | $77,178 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $125,180 | $121,676 (+49.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.