City comparison
Raleigh, NC 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 10.8% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $110,800 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 $1,596 in Raleigh, NC. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 25% in Raleigh, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.6% moving from Raleigh, NC to Santa Maria, CA ($111,147 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Raleigh, NC | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,841 in Santa Maria | $90,219 in Raleigh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,596/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,990 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Raleigh-Cary, NC and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Raleigh | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Raleigh, NC → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
9 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Raleigh, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Raleigh, NC to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Raleigh, NC | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Raleigh → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $71,957 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $87,061 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $104,349 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $124,085 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $146,632 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Raleigh, NC | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Raleigh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,170 | $101,030 | $91,149 (+51.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | $158,290 | $142,808 (+7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,950 | $91,610 | $82,650 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | $137,360 | $123,925 (+46.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.