City comparison
Kennewick, WA 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 8.7% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $108,700 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 $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Kennewick, WA to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (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
| Kennewick, WA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,712 in Santa Maria | $91,986 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA 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 Kennewick, WA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Kennewick → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $101,030 | $92,934 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $158,290 | $145,605 (+13.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $91,610 | $84,268 (−9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $137,360 | $126,352 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.