City comparison
Cleveland, OH 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 15.8% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $115,800 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Cleveland, OH to Santa Maria, CA ($111,138 → $124,085), while prices change by +15.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,837 in Santa Maria | $86,328 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,140 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Cleveland → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $71,957 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $87,061 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $104,349 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $124,085 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $146,632 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $101,030 | $87,217 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $158,290 | $136,648 (+22.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $91,610 | $79,085 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $137,360 | $118,580 (+41.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.