City comparison
Des Moines, 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 18.6% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $118,600 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Santa Maria, CA ($107,301 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,644 in Santa Maria | $84,286 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/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 | 18% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Des Moines → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $71,957 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $87,061 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $104,349 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $124,085 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $146,632 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $101,030 | $85,154 (+38.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $158,290 | $133,416 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $91,610 | $77,214 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $137,360 | $115,775 (+47.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.