City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI 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 7.8% higher than in Ann Arbor, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI would need about $107,800 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 $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Ann Arbor, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Santa Maria, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (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
| Ann Arbor, MI | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,849 in Santa Maria | $92,722 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
17 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Ann Arbor, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Ann Arbor → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $101,030 | $93,677 (+46.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $158,290 | $146,770 (+15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $91,610 | $84,943 (+6.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $137,360 | $127,363 (+23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.