City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.5% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $103,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Visalia, CA ($111,338 → $106,973), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.6% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Phoenix, AZ | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,621 in Visalia | $103,497 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
80 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Visalia, CA | Real change, Phoenix → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $62,033 | −0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $75,055 | −0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $89,959 | −0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $106,973 | −0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $126,410 | −0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $98,430 | $101,872 (+72.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $126,170 | $130,582 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $79,400 | $82,177 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $125,180 | $129,558 (+28.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.