City comparison
Santa Maria, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 2.1% higher than in Santa Maria, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Maria, CA would need about $102,100 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Santa Maria, CA to Seattle, WA ($124,085 → $119,630), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Santa Maria, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.8 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,146 in Seattle | $97,899 in Santa Maria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,746/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 44% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,690 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Maria | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 149.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 108.8 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Maria, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
51 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Maria, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Maria, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Maria, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Santa Maria → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,373 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,935 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,602 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $119,630 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,367 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Maria, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Santa Maria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,030 | $102,920 | $100,758 (−0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $158,290 | $167,280 | $163,765 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $91,610 | $99,370 | $97,282 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $137,360 | $128,260 | $125,565 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.