City comparison
Madison, WI vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 2.6% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $102,600 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Madison, WI to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,609 in Visalia | $97,458 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
61 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Visalia, CA | Real change, Madison → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $98,430 | $95,927 (+50.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $126,170 | $122,962 (−5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $79,400 | $77,381 (−4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $125,180 | $121,997 (+20.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.