City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 7.3% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $107,300 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,688 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Louisville, KY to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,253 in Visalia | $93,237 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,688/yr.
48 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,688/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Visalia, CA | Real change, Louisville → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $98,430 | $91,773 (+49.0%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $126,170 | $117,637 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $79,400 | $74,030 (−3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $125,180 | $116,714 (+37.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.