$100k a year, no longer in Fort Collins
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 Fort Collins
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Fort Collins. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
70% more expensive than Fort Collins(vs $1,971/mo)
9.3%
$408/mo more in state tax than Fort Collins
vs 4.4% in Fort Collins
$4,206/mo
$1,790 less than Fort Collins
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
85% more expensive than Fort Collins
vs $572k in Fort Collins
441k
vs 371k in Fort Collins
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Fort Collins only manages 177 of those.
But the calendar thins out: Fort Collins stays Infinity× busier.
59/100
14% lower than Fort Collins
vs 69/100 in Fort Collins
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
1% higher than Fort Collins
vs 86/100 in Fort Collins
2
99% fewer than Fort Collins
vs 169 nonstops in Fort Collins
same energy as santa maria, different zip code:
