City comparison
Houston, TX vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 1.2% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,200 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Houston, TX to Visalia, CA ($122,749 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.9% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,213 in Visalia | $98,802 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Visalia, CA | Real change, Houston → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,033 | −13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,055 | −13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,959 | −13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,973 | −13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $126,410 | −13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $98,430 | $97,251 (+50.8%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $126,170 | $124,658 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $79,400 | $78,449 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $125,180 | $123,680 (+23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.