City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 5.4% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,400 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,177 a month in San Antonio, TX and $1,123 in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from San Antonio, TX to Visalia, CA ($108,001 → $106,973), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| San Antonio, TX | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,394 in Visalia | $94,882 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Visalia, CA | Real change, San Antonio → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $62,033 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $75,055 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $89,959 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $106,973 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $126,410 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $98,430 | $93,392 (+51.3%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $126,170 | $119,713 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $79,400 | $75,336 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $125,180 | $118,773 (+25.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.