City comparison
Oxnard, CA vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 1.6% higher than in Santa Maria, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Maria, CA would need about $101,600 in Oxnard, 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 $2,250 in Oxnard, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 36% in Oxnard, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Oxnard, CA to Santa Maria, CA changes real buying power by +1.6%, purely from prices.
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (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
| Oxnard, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.5 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,429 in Santa Maria | $101,596 in Oxnard |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,250/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 | 36% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,510 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oxnard | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 171.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 152.9 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 110.5 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oxnard, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
45 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Oxnard, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Oxnard, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oxnard, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Oxnard → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oxnard, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Oxnard dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,420 | $101,030 | $102,642 (+3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $159,430 | $158,290 | $160,816 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $90,340 | $91,610 | $93,072 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | $137,360 | $139,552 (+6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.