City comparison
Portland, OR 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 3.2% higher than in Portland, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, OR would need about $103,200 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 $1,677 in Portland, OR. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 28% in Portland, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Portland, OR than in Santa Maria, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Portland, OR to Santa Maria, CA ($114,684 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Portland, OR: price level 105.4 (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
| Portland, OR | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,203 in Santa Maria | $96,896 in Portland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,677/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 28% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,690 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Portland | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.1 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Portland, OR → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
30 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Portland, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Portland, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Portland, OR to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Portland, OR | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Portland → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $71,957 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $87,061 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $104,349 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $124,085 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $146,632 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Portland, OR | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Portland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $82,330 | $101,030 | $97,894 (+18.9%) |
| Software Developers | $156,000 | $158,290 | $153,377 (−1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,200 | $91,610 | $88,767 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $130,310 | $137,360 | $133,096 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.