City comparison
El Paso, 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 21.0% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $121,000 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from El Paso, TX to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +21.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,005 in Santa Maria | $82,641 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, El Paso → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $101,030 | $83,492 (+30.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $158,290 | $130,813 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $91,610 | $75,708 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $137,360 | $113,516 (+31.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.