City comparison
College Station, TX 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 19.6% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $119,600 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 $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in College Station, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from College Station, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +19.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,623 in Santa Maria | $83,596 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.4%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX 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 College Station, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, College Station → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $101,030 | $84,457 (+45.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $158,290 | $132,324 (+29.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $91,610 | $76,582 (+6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $137,360 | $114,828 (+38.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.