City comparison
Toledo, OH vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Visalia, CA are 9.2% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $109,200 in Visalia, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,123 a month in Visalia, CA versus $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Visalia, CA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Toledo, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Toledo, OH to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much 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
| Toledo, OH | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,152 in Visalia | $91,615 in Toledo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $820/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,220 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Toledo, OH MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Toledo, OH and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Toledo | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.3 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Toledo, OH → Visalia, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
43 Weak offer
Visalia, CA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Toledo, OH 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 Toledo, OH to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Toledo, OH | Visalia, CA | Real change, Toledo → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Toledo, OH | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Toledo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,250 | $98,430 | $90,177 (+42.6%) |
| Software Developers | $104,360 | $126,170 | $115,591 (+10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,400 | $79,400 | $72,743 (−6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,050 | $125,180 | $114,684 (+41.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.