City comparison
Santa Maria, CA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 22.0% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $122,000 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Tulsa, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Santa Maria, CA to Tulsa, OK ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −18.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Santa Maria, CA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.8 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,000 in Tulsa | $121,952 in Santa Maria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,746/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 44% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,690 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Maria | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.4 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 149.8 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 108.8 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Maria, CA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
8 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Maria, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Maria, CA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Maria, CA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Santa Maria → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Maria, CA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Santa Maria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,030 | $48,220 | $58,805 (−41.8%) |
| Software Developers | $158,290 | $108,730 | $132,598 (−16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $91,610 | $81,320 | $99,171 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $137,360 | $84,790 | $103,403 (−24.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.