City comparison
Hickory, NC 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 24.9% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $124,900 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.0% moving from Hickory, NC to Oxnard, CA ($108,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +24.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much 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
| Hickory, NC | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,917 in Oxnard | $80,053 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Hickory → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,957 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $87,061 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $104,349 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $124,085 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $146,632 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | $130,440 | $104,421 (−9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $159,430 | $127,629 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $90,340 | $72,320 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $131,160 | $104,998 (+31.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.