on $100k a year, leaving Fresno
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 Fresno ran you
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
68% more expensive than Fresno(vs $1,999/mo)
9.3%
vs 9.3% in Fresno
$4,206/mo
$1,353 less than Fresno
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
154% more expensive than Fresno
vs $418k in Fresno
441k
vs 1.2M in Fresno
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Fresno only logs 206 pleasant days.
Fresno hosts Infinity× more events.
59/100
11% lower than Fresno
vs 66/100 in Fresno
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
2% lower than Fresno
vs 89/100 in Fresno
2
82% fewer than Fresno
vs 11 nonstops in Fresno
cities that play in santa maria's register:
