City comparison
Oklahoma City, OK 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 20.3% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $120,300 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,116 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Oklahoma City, OK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Oklahoma City, OK to Santa Maria, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +20.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (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
| Oklahoma City, OK | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,341 in Santa Maria | $83,097 in Oklahoma City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,017/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,230 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Oklahoma City, OK and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oklahoma City | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.9 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 90.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oklahoma City, OK → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.9%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,116/yr.
8 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,116/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oklahoma City, OK | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Oklahoma City → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oklahoma City, OK | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Oklahoma City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,780 | $101,030 | $83,953 (+72.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,390 | $158,290 | $131,534 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,280 | $91,610 | $76,125 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,920 | $137,360 | $114,142 (+37.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.