same $100k income, fresh start from Cleveland
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 expensive each month than Cleveland
Santa Maria is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
136% more expensive than Cleveland(vs $1,419/mo)
9.3%
$443/mo more in state tax than Cleveland
vs 3.99% in Cleveland
$4,206/mo
$2,376 less than Cleveland
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
321% more expensive than Cleveland
vs $252k in Cleveland
441k
vs 2.2M in Cleveland
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Cleveland barely cracks 159 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: Cleveland stays Infinity× busier.
59/100
6% lower than Cleveland
vs 63/100 in Cleveland
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
9% lower than Cleveland
vs 96/100 in Cleveland
2
96% fewer than Cleveland
vs 56 nonstops in Cleveland
same energy as santa maria, different zip code:
