City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 10.6% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $110,600 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Boise City, ID to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,577 in Santa Maria | $90,435 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
10 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Boise City → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $101,030 | $91,366 (+49.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $158,290 | $143,149 (+8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $91,610 | $82,847 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $137,360 | $124,221 (+26.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.