on $100k a year, leaving Albuquerque
changea dispatch from
santa maria
CA
34.95°N
120.44°W
Santa Maria has its own style of barbecue (tri-tip cooked over red oak with pinquito beans and salsa), which is a legitimate regional tradition that locals will fight you about. The surrounding Santa Maria Valley is becoming serious wine country (especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). It's quieter and more affordable than its central coast neighbors. The Pacific is right there.
in our guides
the verdict
more each month than Albuquerque ran you
Santa Maria doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what Santa Maria is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
125% more expensive than Albuquerque(vs $1,489/mo)
9.3%
$283/mo more in state tax than Albuquerque
vs 5.9% in Albuquerque
$4,206/mo
$2,147 less than Albuquerque
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
201% more expensive than Albuquerque
vs $351k in Albuquerque
441k
vs 924k in Albuquerque
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Albuquerque only logs 205 pleasant days.
Albuquerque hosts Infinity× more events.
59/100
27% lower than Albuquerque
vs 81/100 in Albuquerque
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
7% lower than Albuquerque
vs 94/100 in Albuquerque
2
91% fewer than Albuquerque
vs 23 nonstops in Albuquerque
cities that play in santa maria's register:
