City comparison
Dallas, 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 5.5% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $105,500 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 $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Dallas, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($115,711 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Dallas, TX | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,537 in Santa Maria | $94,754 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/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 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
23 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Dallas → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $71,957 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $87,061 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $104,349 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $124,085 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $146,632 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $101,030 | $95,730 (+47.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $158,290 | $149,985 (+12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $91,610 | $86,804 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $137,360 | $130,154 (+28.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.