City comparison
Reno, NV 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 7.7% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $107,700 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 23% in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.1% moving from Reno, NV to Santa Maria, CA ($106,855 → $124,085), while prices change by +7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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
| Reno, NV | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.0 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,706 in Santa Maria | $92,845 in Reno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,489/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NV) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,660 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Reno-Fernley, NV | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Reno, NV and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reno | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 101.0 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reno, NV → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
17 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Reno, NV is in the Reno-Fernley, NV pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Reno, NV to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reno, NV | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Reno → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,965 | $71,957 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,972 | $87,061 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,859 | $104,349 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,855 | $124,085 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,271 | $146,632 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reno, NV | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Reno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,430 | $101,030 | $93,802 (+50.3%) |
| Software Developers | $125,710 | $158,290 | $146,965 (+16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,370 | $91,610 | $85,056 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,520 | $137,360 | $127,533 (+18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.