on $100k a year, leaving Richmond
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 Richmond 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
98% more expensive than Richmond(vs $1,691/mo)
9.3%
$296/mo more in state tax than Richmond
vs 5.75% in Richmond
$4,206/mo
$1,957 less than Richmond
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
169% more expensive than Richmond
vs $394k in Richmond
441k
vs 1.4M in Richmond
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Richmond only logs 172 pleasant days.
Noticeably quieter than Richmond. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
59/100
9% lower than Richmond
vs 65/100 in Richmond
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
26% higher than Richmond
vs 69/100 in Richmond
2
89% fewer than Richmond
vs 19 nonstops in Richmond
in the same ballpark as santa maria:
