City comparison
Cape Coral, FL 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 6.3% higher than in Cape Coral, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Cape Coral, FL would need about $106,300 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 $1,638 in Cape Coral, FL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in Cape Coral, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.7% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,301 in Santa Maria | $94,073 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
21 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Cape Coral → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $101,030 | $95,041 (+57.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $158,290 | $148,907 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $91,610 | $86,180 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $137,360 | $129,218 (+55.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.