$100k salary, packing up from Lafayette
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
the monthly cost of moving past Lafayette
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Lafayette. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
152% more expensive than Lafayette(vs $1,332/mo)
9.3%
$525/mo more in state tax than Lafayette
vs 3% in Lafayette
$4,206/mo
$2,545 less than Lafayette
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
429% more expensive than Lafayette
vs $200k in Lafayette
441k
vs 414k in Lafayette
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Lafayette only manages 211 of those.
Lighter on events: Lafayette packs Infinity× more into a month.
59/100
37% higher than Lafayette
vs 43/100 in Lafayette
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
2% higher than Lafayette
vs 85/100 in Lafayette
2
33% fewer than Lafayette
vs 3 nonstops in Lafayette
cities that play in santa maria's register:
