City comparison
Detroit, MI 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 8.5% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $108,500 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Detroit, MI to Santa Maria, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,475 in Santa Maria | $92,187 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
15 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Detroit → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $101,030 | $93,137 (+42.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $158,290 | $145,923 (+11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $91,610 | $84,453 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $137,360 | $126,629 (+30.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.