City comparison
Charlotte, NC 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 11.8% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $111,800 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 $1,538 in Charlotte, NC. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Charlotte, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.0% moving from Charlotte, NC to Santa Maria, CA ($108,810 → $124,085), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,762 in Santa Maria | $89,476 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Charlotte → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $71,957 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $87,061 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $104,349 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $124,085 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $146,632 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $101,030 | $90,398 (+54.1%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $158,290 | $141,631 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $91,610 | $81,969 (−11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $137,360 | $122,904 (+35.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.