City comparison
Grand Rapids, MI 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 13.9% higher than in Grand Rapids, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Grand Rapids, MI would need about $113,900 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 $1,278 in Grand Rapids, MI. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 20% in Grand Rapids, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Grand Rapids, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Grand Rapids, MI to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +13.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (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
| Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,870 in Santa Maria | $87,820 in Grand Rapids |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,278/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,570 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Grand Rapids | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Grand Rapids, MI → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Grand Rapids, MI 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 Grand Rapids, MI to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Grand Rapids → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Grand Rapids, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Grand Rapids dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,900 | $101,030 | $88,724 (+43.3%) |
| Software Developers | $107,520 | $158,290 | $139,010 (+29.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,270 | $91,610 | $80,452 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,920 | $137,360 | $120,629 (+43.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.