City comparison
Boston, MA vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Boston, MA (108.3) and Santa Maria, CA (108.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Boston, MA goes as far as $100,500 in Santa Maria, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,476 in Boston, MA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 40% in Boston, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Boston, MA to Santa Maria, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,491 in Santa Maria | $99,511 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Santa Maria, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
38 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Boston, MA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Boston → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $101,030 | $100,536 (+2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $158,290 | $157,516 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $91,610 | $91,162 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $137,360 | $136,688 (+28.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.