City comparison
Columbia, SC 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 16.2% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $116,200 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,843 a year in SC and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Columbia, SC to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +16.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,160 in Santa Maria | $86,088 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$228/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$228/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Columbia → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $101,030 | $86,975 (+44.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $158,290 | $136,269 (+10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $91,610 | $78,865 (+14.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $137,360 | $118,250 (+44.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.