City comparison
Sacramento, CA 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 2.0% higher than in Sacramento, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Sacramento, CA would need about $102,000 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 $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.2% moving from Sacramento, CA to Santa Maria, CA ($117,984 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,995 in Santa Maria | $98,044 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
33 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Sacramento → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $71,957 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $87,061 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $104,349 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $124,085 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $146,632 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $101,030 | $99,054 (−4.2%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $158,290 | $155,194 (+11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $91,610 | $89,818 (−2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $137,360 | $134,673 (−21.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.