City comparison
Houston, TX 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 12.1% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $112,100 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Houston, TX to Oxnard, CA ($122,749 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.8% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,070 in Oxnard | $89,230 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Houston → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $71,957 | −9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $87,061 | −9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $104,349 | −9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $124,085 | −9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $146,632 | −9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $126,370 | $130,440 | $116,391 (−7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $159,430 | $142,259 (+9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $90,340 | $80,610 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $131,160 | $117,033 (+17.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.