City comparison
Milwaukee, 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 12.2% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $112,200 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Santa Maria, CA ($111,310 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,236 in Santa Maria | $89,098 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/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 | 18% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Milwaukee → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $71,957 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $87,061 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $104,349 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $124,085 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $146,632 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | $101,030 | $90,016 (+46.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | $158,290 | $141,033 (+14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $91,610 | $81,623 (+1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $137,360 | $122,385 (+25.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.