City comparison
Olympia, WA 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 4.9% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $104,900 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 $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.7% moving from Olympia, WA to Santa Maria, CA ($119,630 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (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
| Olympia, WA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,946 in Santa Maria | $95,287 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Olympia → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $71,957 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $87,061 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $104,349 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $124,085 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $146,632 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $101,030 | $96,268 (−8.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $158,290 | $150,829 (+21.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $91,610 | $87,292 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $137,360 | $130,886 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.