City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT 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 7.9% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $107,900 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 $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Salt Lake City, UT | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,862 in Santa Maria | $92,711 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
17 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Salt Lake City → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $101,030 | $93,666 (+20.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $158,290 | $146,753 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $91,610 | $84,933 (+3.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $137,360 | $127,348 (+48.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.