City comparison
Houston, TX 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 10.3% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $110,300 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Houston, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($122,749 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,310 in Santa Maria | $90,653 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
10 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Houston → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $71,957 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $87,061 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $104,349 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $124,085 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $146,632 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $101,030 | $91,587 (+42.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $158,290 | $143,495 (+10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $91,610 | $83,048 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $137,360 | $124,521 (+24.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.