$100k salary, packing up from Durham
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 Durham ran you
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Durham. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
99% more expensive than Durham(vs $1,684/mo)
9.3%
$400/mo more in state tax than Durham
vs 4.5% in Durham
$4,206/mo
$2,068 less than Durham
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
155% more expensive than Durham
vs $415k in Durham
441k
vs 609k in Durham
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Durham keeps to 178 pleasant days a year.
Noticeably quieter than Durham. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
59/100
18% higher than Durham
vs 50/100 in Durham
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
9% higher than Durham
vs 80/100 in Durham
2
95% fewer than Durham
vs 39 nonstops in Durham
same energy as santa maria, different zip code:
