City comparison
Riverside, CA 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 2.2% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $102,200 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 $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 29% in Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA to Santa Maria, CA changes real buying power by −2.2%, purely from prices.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (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
| Riverside, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,213 in Santa Maria | $97,835 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/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 | 29% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
33 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Strong 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 Riverside, CA to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Riverside → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $101,030 | $98,842 (+0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $158,290 | $154,862 (+16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $91,610 | $89,626 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $137,360 | $134,385 (+0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.