City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 25.5% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $125,500 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Mobile, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Mobile, AL to Oxnard, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +25.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.1% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Mobile, AL | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $125,467 in Oxnard | $79,702 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
20 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +25.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Mobile → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $99,420 | $79,240 (+30.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $159,430 | $127,069 (+3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $90,340 | $72,003 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $131,160 | $104,537 (+31.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.