City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Portland, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 4.9% higher than in Portland, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, OR would need about $104,900 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 $1,677 in Portland, OR. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 28% in Portland, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Oxnard, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Oxnard, CA to Portland, OR ($124,085 → $114,684), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Portland, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 105.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,374 in Portland | $104,850 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,677/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $60,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.1 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 105.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Portland, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
79 Strong offer
Portland, OR → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Portland, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Portland, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Portland, OR | Real change, Oxnard → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $66,505 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $80,465 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $96,443 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $114,684 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $135,522 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Portland, OR | Portland pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $82,330 | $86,323 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $156,000 | $163,566 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $92,200 | $96,672 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $130,310 | $136,630 (+4.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.