$100k salary, packing up from Mobile
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 premium over Mobile
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
157% more expensive than Mobile(vs $1,302/mo)
9.3%
$358/mo more in state tax than Mobile
vs 5% in Mobile
$4,206/mo
$2,409 less than Mobile
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
447% more expensive than Mobile
vs $194k in Mobile
441k
vs 412k in Mobile
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Mobile barely cracks 225 pleasant ones.
Noticeably quieter than Mobile. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
59/100
0% lower than Mobile
vs 59/100 in Mobile
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
26% higher than Mobile
vs 69/100 in Mobile
2
60% fewer than Mobile
vs 5 nonstops in Mobile
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