City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 16.9% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $116,900 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Huntsville, AL to Santa Maria, CA ($110,847 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,897 in Santa Maria | $85,546 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Huntsville → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $71,957 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $87,061 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $104,349 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $124,085 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $146,632 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $101,030 | $86,427 (+38.8%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $158,290 | $135,410 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $91,610 | $78,368 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $137,360 | $117,506 (+52.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.