City comparison
Richmond, VA 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 11.2% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $111,200 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 $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,936 a year in VA and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Richmond, VA to Santa Maria, CA ($111,183 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (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
| Richmond, VA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,179 in Santa Maria | $89,945 in Richmond |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,460 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Richmond, VA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Richmond, VA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Richmond | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Richmond, VA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Richmond, VA is in the Richmond, VA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Richmond, VA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Richmond, VA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Richmond → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,475 | $71,957 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,009 | $87,061 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,499 | $104,349 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,183 | $124,085 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,385 | $146,632 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Richmond, VA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Richmond dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,290 | $101,030 | $90,871 (+48.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $158,290 | $142,373 (+7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,220 | $91,610 | $82,398 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,580 | $137,360 | $123,548 (+32.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.