on $100k a year, leaving El Paso
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 El Paso
Santa Maria is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
128% more expensive than El Paso(vs $1,473/mo)
9.3%
$775/mo more in state tax than El Paso
vs 0% in El Paso
$4,206/mo
$2,654 less than El Paso
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
358% more expensive than El Paso
vs $231k in El Paso
441k
vs 872k in El Paso
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
El Paso barely cracks 222 pleasant ones.
El Paso hosts Infinity× more events.
59/100
9% lower than El Paso
vs 65/100 in El Paso
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
6% lower than El Paso
vs 93/100 in El Paso
2
85% fewer than El Paso
vs 13 nonstops in El Paso
neighbors of santa maria on the map of tradeoffs:
