City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 4.4% higher than in Santa Maria, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Maria, CA would need about $104,400 in Los Angeles, 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 $2,085 in Los Angeles, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 34% in Los Angeles, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Santa Maria, CA changes real buying power by +4.4%, purely from prices.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,802 in Santa Maria | $104,382 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
Santa Maria, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Los Angeles → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $101,030 | $105,458 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $158,290 | $165,227 (+2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $91,610 | $95,625 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $137,360 | $143,380 (+5.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.