City comparison
New Haven, CT 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 4.1% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $104,100 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 $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Santa Maria, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (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
| New Haven, CT | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,054 in Santa Maria | $96,104 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
27 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, New Haven → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $101,030 | $97,094 (+21.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $158,290 | $152,123 (+14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $91,610 | $88,041 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $137,360 | $132,008 (+26.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.