City comparison
Memphis, TN 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 18.0% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $118,000 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Memphis, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Memphis, TN to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +18.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,029 in Santa Maria | $84,725 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Memphis → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $101,030 | $85,598 (+39.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $158,290 | $134,111 (+6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $91,610 | $77,616 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $137,360 | $116,378 (+42.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.