City comparison
Birmingham, AL 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 18.7% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $118,700 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 $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Santa Maria, CA ($107,510 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,718 in Santa Maria | $84,233 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Birmingham → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $71,957 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $87,061 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $104,349 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $124,085 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $146,632 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $101,030 | $85,101 (+35.9%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $158,290 | $133,333 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $91,610 | $77,166 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $137,360 | $115,703 (+47.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.