City comparison
Philadelphia, PA 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 6.1% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $106,100 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 $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Philadelphia, PA to Santa Maria, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (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
| Philadelphia, PA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,088 in Santa Maria | $94,261 in Philadelphia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,520/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,310 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Philadelphia | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 114.4 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 103.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Philadelphia, PA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
22 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Philadelphia, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Philadelphia, PA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Philadelphia, PA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Philadelphia → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Philadelphia, PA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Philadelphia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,570 | $101,030 | $95,232 (+21.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $158,290 | $149,206 (+12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,990 | $91,610 | $86,352 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,180 | $137,360 | $129,477 (+28.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.