City comparison
New York, NY vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 3.5% higher than in Santa Maria, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Maria, CA would need about $103,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,655 a month in New York, NY and $2,746 in Santa Maria, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from New York, NY to Santa Maria, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much 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
| New York, NY | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,655 in Santa Maria | $103,461 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
50 Fair offer
Santa Maria, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, New York → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $101,030 | $104,526 (+7.9%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $158,290 | $163,768 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $91,610 | $94,780 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $137,360 | $142,113 (+18.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.