City comparison
Albany, NY vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 9.3% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $109,300 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 23% in Albany, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.0% moving from Albany, NY to Santa Maria, CA ($109,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,272 in Santa Maria | $91,515 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
13 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Albany → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $71,957 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $87,061 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $104,349 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $124,085 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $146,632 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $101,030 | $92,457 (+16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $158,290 | $144,858 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $91,610 | $83,836 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $137,360 | $125,704 (+25.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.