City comparison
Davenport, IA 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 22.1% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $122,100 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 $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.7% moving from Davenport, IA to Santa Maria, CA ($108,137 → $124,085), while prices change by +22.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.0% in real buying power.
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (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
| Davenport, IA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,137 in Santa Maria | $81,876 in Davenport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $928/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,550 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Davenport | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.9 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 93.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Davenport, IA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Davenport, IA is in the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Davenport, IA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Davenport, IA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Davenport → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,708 | $71,957 | −6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,871 | $87,061 | −6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,937 | $104,349 | −6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,137 | $124,085 | −6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,786 | $146,632 | −6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Davenport, IA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Davenport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $101,030 | $82,719 (+34.2%) |
| Software Developers | $115,780 | $158,290 | $129,601 (+11.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,600 | $91,610 | $75,006 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,150 | $137,360 | $112,464 (+45.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.