City comparison
Santa Maria, CA vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 17.2% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $117,200 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 $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Santa Maria, CA to South Bend, IN ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Santa Maria, CA | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.8 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,349 in South Bend | $117,166 in Santa Maria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,746/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 44% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,690 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Maria | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.4 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 149.8 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 108.8 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Maria, CA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
100 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
8 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Maria, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Maria, CA to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Maria, CA | South Bend, IN | Real change, Santa Maria → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Maria, CA | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Santa Maria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,030 | $58,180 | $68,167 (−32.5%) |
| Software Developers | $158,290 | $95,500 | $111,894 (−29.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $91,610 | $77,940 | $91,319 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $137,360 | $93,540 | $109,597 (−20.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.