City comparison
Denver, CO vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 6.0% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $106,000 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, CO and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.9% moving from Denver, CO to Visalia, CA ($118,675 → $106,973), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Denver, CO | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.8 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,369 in Visalia | $105,967 in Denver |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,754/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $62,320 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Denver | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 146.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.8 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Denver, CO → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
87 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Denver, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Denver, CO to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Denver, CO | Visalia, CA | Real change, Denver → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,033 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,055 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $89,959 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $106,973 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $126,410 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Denver, CO | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Denver dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,910 | $98,430 | $104,304 (+35.6%) |
| Software Developers | $137,610 | $126,170 | $133,699 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,020 | $79,400 | $84,138 (−15.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,130 | $125,180 | $132,650 (+31.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.