City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.9% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $102,900 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.9% moving from Hartford, CT to Visalia, CA ($120,094 → $106,973), while prices change by −2.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,157 in Visalia | $102,926 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
78 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Visalia, CA | Real change, Hartford → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,033 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,055 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,959 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,973 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $126,410 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $98,430 | $101,310 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $126,170 | $129,862 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $79,400 | $81,723 (−14.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $125,180 | $128,843 (+27.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.