City comparison
Reading, 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 12.1% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $112,100 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.8% moving from Reading, PA to Santa Maria, CA ($117,284 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (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
| Reading, PA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,094 in Santa Maria | $89,211 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/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 | 20% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reading, 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 Reading, PA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Reading → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $71,957 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $87,061 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $104,349 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $124,085 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $146,632 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,860 | $101,030 | $90,130 (+12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $158,290 | $141,212 (+16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $91,610 | $81,726 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $137,360 | $122,541 (+24.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.