on $100k a year, leaving Chattanooga
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
pricier each month than Chattanooga
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
120% more expensive than Chattanooga(vs $1,524/mo)
9.3%
$775/mo more in state tax than Chattanooga
vs 0% in Chattanooga
$4,206/mo
$2,603 less than Chattanooga
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
229% more expensive than Chattanooga
vs $322k in Chattanooga
441k
vs 580k in Chattanooga
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Chattanooga barely cracks 167 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: Chattanooga stays Infinity× busier.
59/100
14% lower than Chattanooga
vs 69/100 in Chattanooga
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
6% higher than Chattanooga
vs 82/100 in Chattanooga
2
75% fewer than Chattanooga
vs 8 nonstops in Chattanooga
if santa maria appeals, also worth a look:
