USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Boston, MA vs. Santa Clarita, CA

Median rent is $2,093 a month in Boston, MA and $2,486 in Santa Clarita, CA. Household income is $94,755 against $119,926. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Boston, MA buys what $100,903 buys in Santa Clarita, CA
+$903 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$2,093 $2,486 +18.8%
Median household income Annual
$94,755 $119,926 +26.6%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$710,400 $721,000 +1.5%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
26.5% 24.9% -1.6 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
111.6 112.6 +0.9%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$83,700 $99,400 +18.8%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$2,369 $2,998 +26.6%
Population City proper
663,972 229,021 -65.5%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Boston
$100,000 $100,903 +0.9%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$2,093
Boston, MA · 18.8% below Santa Clarita, CA
Higher household income
$119,926
Santa Clarita, CA · 26.6% above Boston, MA
Same standard of living
$100,903
$100,000 in Boston, MA needs $100,903 in Santa Clarita, CA
Price level gap
1.0 points
111.6 in MA against 112.6 in CA
Rent burden gap
1.6 points
Boston, MA versus Santa Clarita, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
89.6%
Boston, MA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Boston, MA vs Santa Clarita, CA: frequently asked questions

Is Santa Clarita, CA more expensive than Boston, MA?

Yes. Prices in Santa Clarita, CA are about 0.9% higher than in Boston, MA: a regional price level of 112.6 against 111.6, where the U.S. average is 100.

How much do I need to earn in Santa Clarita, CA to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Boston, MA?

About $100,900. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (111.6 in Boston, MA, 112.6 in Santa Clarita, CA) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.

Is rent cheaper in Boston, MA or Santa Clarita, CA?

The median gross rent is $2,093 a month in Boston, MA and $2,486 in Santa Clarita, CA, a difference of $393 a month or $4,716 a year.

Where are household incomes higher, Boston, MA or Santa Clarita, CA?

The median household income is $94,755 in Boston, MA and $119,926 in Santa Clarita, CA. Rent takes 26.5% of the median income in Boston, MA and 24.9% in Santa Clarita, CA.

What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Santa Clarita, CA?

About $99,400 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $2,486 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $83,700 in Boston, MA.

More comparisons with Boston, MA

More comparisons with Santa Clarita, CA

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Boston, MA converted into Santa Clarita, CA at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Boston, MA · Santa Clarita, CA