City comparison
Santa Maria, CA vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 24.0% higher than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tuscaloosa, AL would need about $124,000 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 $972 in Tuscaloosa, AL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 16% in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Santa Maria, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL ($124,085 → $107,510), while prices change by −19.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Santa Maria, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.8 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $80,628 in Tuscaloosa | $124,026 in Santa Maria |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,746/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 44% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,690 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Maria | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.4 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 149.8 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 108.8 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Maria, CA → Tuscaloosa, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.4%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
8 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Maria, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Maria, CA to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Maria, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Santa Maria → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,344 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,431 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,410 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,510 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,044 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Maria, CA | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Santa Maria dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,030 | $60,220 | $74,688 (−26.1%) |
| Software Developers | $158,290 | $104,870 | $130,066 (−17.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $91,610 | $71,690 | $88,914 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $137,360 | $75,250 | $93,329 (−32.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.