City comparison
Chicago, IL 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 5.0% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $105,000 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 $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Santa Maria, CA ($118,984 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,022 in Santa Maria | $95,218 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
25 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Chicago → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $71,957 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $87,061 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $104,349 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $124,085 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $146,632 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $101,030 | $96,198 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $158,290 | $150,720 (+12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $91,610 | $87,229 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $137,360 | $130,791 (+30.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.