$100k salary, packing up from Santa Maria
changea dispatch from
anchorage
AK
61.22°N
149.90°W
Anchorage is the city where moose sometimes wander into downtown, the Chugach Mountains tower right behind your office, and summer days run 19 hours long. The Iditarod sled-dog race kicks off from here every March. The food scene leans heavily on the world-class salmon and halibut coming off the boats. Winter brings the northern lights flickering above the mountains and the kind of quiet you only find this far north. Wild edge.
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Santa Maria
Anchorage is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,713/mo
49% cheaper than Santa Maria(vs $3,352/mo)
0%
$775/mo less in state tax than Santa Maria
vs 9.3% in Santa Maria
$6,620/mo
$2,414 more than Santa Maria
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$438k
59% cheaper than Santa Maria
vs $1059k in Santa Maria
401k
vs 441k in Santa Maria
field notes, weather & such.
93
pleasant days a year, in anchorage.
Santa Maria actually gets more: 337 pleasant days a year. Bring a real coat. 91 days stay under 20°, well past Santa Maria's 0.
68/100
15% higher than Santa Maria
vs 59/100 in Santa Maria
Closest outdoor draw: Chugach State Park, 21.9 mi.
79/100
9% lower than Santa Maria
vs 87/100 in Santa Maria
34
1600% more than Santa Maria
vs 2 nonstops in Santa Maria
if anchorage appeals, also worth a look:
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