City comparison
Madison, WI 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 11.8% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $111,800 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 $1,482 in Madison, WI. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Madison, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Madison, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Madison, WI to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,832 in Santa Maria | $89,420 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Madison → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,690 | $101,030 | $90,341 (+41.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $158,290 | $141,543 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $91,610 | $81,918 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $137,360 | $122,827 (+21.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.