City comparison
Gainesville, 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 3.2% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $103,200 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, 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 Gainesville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Gainesville, FL to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (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
| Gainesville, FL | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,196 in Visalia | $96,903 in Gainesville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,246/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 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,020 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Gainesville, FL and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gainesville | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.0 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gainesville, FL → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
59 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Gainesville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gainesville, 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 Gainesville, FL to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gainesville, FL | Visalia, CA | Real change, Gainesville → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gainesville, FL | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Gainesville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $56,430 | $98,430 | $95,381 (+69.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,950 | $126,170 | $122,262 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,820 | $79,400 | $76,941 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,870 | $125,180 | $121,303 (+48.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.