City comparison
Crestview, 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 12.1% higher than in Crestview, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Crestview, FL would need about $112,100 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 $1,581 in Crestview, FL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Crestview, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Crestview, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Crestview, FL to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Crestview, FL: price level 97.0 (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
| Crestview, FL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,127 in Santa Maria | $89,185 in Crestview |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/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 | 24% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,510 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Crestview | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Crestview, FL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Crestview, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Crestview, 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 Crestview, FL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Crestview, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Crestview → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Crestview, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Crestview dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,330 | $101,030 | $90,103 (+49.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,640 | $158,290 | $141,170 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,510 | $91,610 | $81,702 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,260 | $137,360 | $122,504 (+50.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.