City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Oxnard, CA (110.5) and Urban Honolulu, HI (111.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Oxnard, CA goes as far as $100,400 in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Oxnard, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Oxnard, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($124,085 → $111,119), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Oxnard, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,386 in Urban Honolulu | $99,615 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 36% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
55 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Oxnard, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oxnard, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Oxnard → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,438 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,964 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,445 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,119 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,310 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $73,080 | $72,799 (−26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $120,230 | $119,767 (−24.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $74,990 | $74,701 (−17.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $139,260 | $138,724 (+5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.