City comparison
Provo, UT vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 1.6% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $101,600 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Provo, UT to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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
| Provo, UT | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,622 in Visalia | $98,404 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
64 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Visalia, CA | Real change, Provo → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $98,430 | $96,859 (+53.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $126,170 | $124,157 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $79,400 | $78,133 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $125,180 | $123,182 (+50.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.