City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 4.6% higher than in Manchester, NH. Someone earning $100,000 in Manchester, NH would need about $104,600 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 $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Manchester, NH to Oxnard, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,616 in Oxnard | $95,588 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Manchester, NH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Manchester → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $99,420 | $95,033 (+29.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $159,430 | $152,396 (−6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $90,340 | $86,354 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $131,160 | $125,373 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.