City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 12.1% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $112,100 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,097 a month in Jackson, MS and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,802 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Jackson, MS.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Jackson, MS to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much 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
| Jackson, MS | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,102 in Visalia | $89,204 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,802/yr.
38 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,802/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Visalia, CA | Real change, Jackson → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $90,460 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $126,170 | $112,549 (+16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $79,400 | $70,828 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $125,180 | $111,666 (+35.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.