City comparison
Modesto, CA 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 4.5% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $104,500 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.7% moving from Modesto, CA to Santa Maria, CA ($133,060 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
- 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
| Modesto, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,505 in Santa Maria | $95,689 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Modesto → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $71,957 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $87,061 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $104,349 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $124,085 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $146,632 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $101,030 | $96,675 (−4.9%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $158,290 | $151,467 (+26.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $91,610 | $87,661 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $137,360 | $131,439 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.