City comparison
Anchorage, AK 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 3.2% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $103,200 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 $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.1% moving from Anchorage, AK to Santa Maria, CA ($120,348 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (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
| Anchorage, AK | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,204 in Santa Maria | $96,895 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
30 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Anchorage → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $71,957 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $87,061 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $104,349 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $124,085 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $146,632 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $101,030 | $97,893 (+23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $158,290 | $153,375 (+47.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $91,610 | $88,766 (+8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $137,360 | $133,095 (+15.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.