City comparison
Providence, RI vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 2.0% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $102,000 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Providence, RI to Visalia, CA ($120,548 → $106,973), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- 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
| Providence, RI | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,086 in Visalia | $101,951 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
75 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Visalia, CA | Real change, Providence → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $62,033 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $75,055 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,959 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,973 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $126,410 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $98,430 | $100,351 (+15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $126,170 | $128,632 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $79,400 | $80,949 (−14.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $125,180 | $127,623 (+27.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.