City comparison
Austin, TX 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 10.9% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $110,900 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.4% moving from Austin, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($109,428 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,944 in Santa Maria | $90,136 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,746/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 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
9 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Austin → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $71,957 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $87,061 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $104,349 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $124,085 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $146,632 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $101,030 | $91,064 (+48.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $158,290 | $142,676 (+6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $91,610 | $82,573 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $137,360 | $123,811 (+26.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.