$100k salary, packing up from Anchorage
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
the monthly premium over Anchorage
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Anchorage. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
96% more expensive than Anchorage(vs $1,713/mo)
9.3%
$775/mo more in state tax than Anchorage
vs 0% in Anchorage
$4,206/mo
$2,414 less than Anchorage
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
142% more expensive than Anchorage
vs $438k in Anchorage
441k
vs 401k in Anchorage
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Anchorage keeps to 93 pleasant days a year.
59/100
13% lower than Anchorage
vs 68/100 in Anchorage
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
10% higher than Anchorage
vs 79/100 in Anchorage
2
94% fewer than Anchorage
vs 34 nonstops in Anchorage
neighbors of santa maria on the map of tradeoffs:
