City comparison
Jacksonville, FL 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 9.4% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $109,400 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 $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Jacksonville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Jacksonville, FL to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (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
| Jacksonville, FL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,362 in Santa Maria | $91,439 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
13 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, FL 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 Jacksonville, FL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Jacksonville → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $101,030 | $92,381 (+51.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $158,290 | $144,739 (+11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $91,610 | $83,767 (+4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $137,360 | $125,601 (+50.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.