City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 26.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $126,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Oxnard, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($124,085 → $107,510), while prices change by −20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.2% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $79,362 in Tuscaloosa | $126,005 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +26.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −20.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
20 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Oxnard → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,344 | +9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,431 | +9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,410 | +9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,510 | +9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,044 | +9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $60,220 | $75,880 (−23.7%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $104,870 | $132,141 (−17.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $71,690 | $90,333 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $75,250 | $94,819 (−27.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.