Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek to Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 92.7 to 108.8 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,851/mo.

+$11,268
BLS median salary higher in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
293 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
18.2:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$6,129
DOL infant care higher / yr in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 92.7 → 108.8
Rent Delta: +$1,851/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $11K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 16% higher cost of living
  • - $1851/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 92.7 to 108.8, so the same paycheck buys less in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (ratio 1.17). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,851/mo ($22,212/yr) from $1,273 in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek to $3,124 in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara.

Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek still leads on 6 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara sits #381 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek is #200/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $11,268 higher ($68,046 → $79,314). Labor-market size: 365,260 tracked jobs at origin vs 193,410 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Ohio scores 59 (D, #29/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 92.7
RPP 108.8
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Rent (2BR)
$1,273/mo
$3,124/mo
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Wages
$68,046
$79,314
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Crime
293 per 100K
477 per 100K
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Schools
18.2:1
21.5:1
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Childcare
$11,791/yr
$17,920/yr
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
Environment
1500 violations
17705 violations
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Ohio
59 D #29/51
Income tax
72
Property tax
57
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
10
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek to see what you'd need to earn in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026