City comparison
Canton, OH vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 21.7% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $121,700 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Canton, OH to Santa Maria, CA ($111,138 → $124,085), while prices change by +21.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,690 in Santa Maria | $82,176 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Canton → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,957 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $87,061 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $104,349 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $124,085 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $146,632 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $98,900 | $130,770 | $107,462 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $158,290 | $130,077 (+23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $91,610 | $75,282 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $137,360 | $112,877 (+41.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.