City comparison
Omaha, NE vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 8.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $108,600 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,148 a month in Omaha, NE and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Omaha, NE to Visalia, CA ($107,501 → $106,973), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (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
| Omaha, NE | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,611 in Visalia | $92,072 in Omaha |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,148/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Omaha, NE-IA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Omaha | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.4 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 76.4 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Omaha, NE → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
44 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Omaha, NE is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Omaha, NE to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Omaha, NE | Visalia, CA | Real change, Omaha → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,339 | $62,033 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,425 | $75,055 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,402 | $89,959 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,501 | $106,973 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,033 | $126,410 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Omaha, NE | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Omaha dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,670 | $98,430 | $90,627 (+44.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,220 | $126,170 | $116,167 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,030 | $79,400 | $73,105 (−5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | $125,180 | $115,256 (+36.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.