City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA 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 19.8% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $119,800 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,848 in Santa Maria | $83,439 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $101,030 | $84,298 (+42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $158,290 | $132,076 (+29.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $91,610 | $76,438 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $137,360 | $114,612 (+41.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.