City comparison
Salem, 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 5.0% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $105,000 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,850 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Santa Maria, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.2% moving from Salem, OR to Santa Maria, CA ($114,684 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.1% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (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
| Salem, OR | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,968 in Santa Maria | $95,267 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/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 | 20% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Salem, OR and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax −$2,850/yr.
25 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$2,850/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, 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 Salem, OR to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Salem → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $71,957 | +3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $87,061 | +3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $104,349 | +3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $124,085 | +3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $146,632 | +3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $101,030 | $96,249 (+28.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $158,290 | $150,799 (+14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $91,610 | $87,274 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $137,360 | $130,859 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.