$100k salary, packing up from New Orleans
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 New Orleans
A real premium for Santa Maria. Worth it only if the city itself is the whole point.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
108% more expensive than New Orleans(vs $1,612/mo)
9.3%
$525/mo more in state tax than New Orleans
vs 3% in New Orleans
$4,206/mo
$2,265 less than New Orleans
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
309% more expensive than New Orleans
vs $259k in New Orleans
441k
vs 962k in New Orleans
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
New Orleans keeps to 235 pleasant days a year.
But the calendar thins out: New Orleans stays Infinity× busier.
59/100
7% higher than New Orleans
vs 55/100 in New Orleans
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
11% lower than New Orleans
vs 98/100 in New Orleans
2
95% fewer than New Orleans
vs 39 nonstops in New Orleans
neighbors of santa maria on the map of tradeoffs:
