City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 6.6% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $106,600 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Salem, 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 Salem, OR ($124,085 → $114,684), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,771 in Salem | $106,643 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $1,201/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
90 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
32 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Salem, OR | Real change, Oxnard → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $66,505 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $80,465 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $96,443 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $114,684 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $135,522 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,440 | $126,680 | $135,095 (+3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $131,620 | $140,363 (−12.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $87,480 | $93,291 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $131,750 | $140,502 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.