City comparison
Cincinnati, OH 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 14.1% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $114,100 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Santa Maria, CA ($110,865 → $124,085), while prices change by +14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,080 in Santa Maria | $87,658 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Cincinnati → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $71,957 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $87,061 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $104,349 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $124,085 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $146,632 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $101,030 | $88,561 (+36.8%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $158,290 | $138,754 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $91,610 | $80,303 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $137,360 | $120,407 (+43.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.