City comparison
Phoenix, AZ 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 5.3% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $105,300 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,779 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Santa Maria, CA ($111,338 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,306 in Santa Maria | $94,961 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$2,779/yr.
24 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,779/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Phoenix → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $71,957 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $87,061 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $104,349 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $124,085 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $146,632 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $101,030 | $95,939 (+62.1%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $158,290 | $150,314 (+14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $91,610 | $86,994 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $137,360 | $130,439 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.