City comparison
Dayton, 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 17.4% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $117,400 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Dayton, OH to Santa Maria, CA ($110,401 → $124,085), while prices change by +17.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,373 in Santa Maria | $85,198 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/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 | $49,980 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Dayton → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $71,957 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $87,061 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $104,349 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $124,085 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $146,632 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $101,030 | $86,076 (+7.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $158,290 | $134,860 (+26.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $91,610 | $78,050 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $137,360 | $117,028 (+41.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.