$100k salary, packing up from Riverside
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 Riverside
Santa Maria is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
34% more expensive than Riverside(vs $2,493/mo)
9.3%
vs 9.3% in Riverside
$4,206/mo
$859 less than Riverside
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
78% more expensive than Riverside
vs $595k in Riverside
441k
vs 4.7M in Riverside
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Riverside barely cracks 249 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: Riverside stays Infinity× busier.
59/100
14% lower than Riverside
vs 69/100 in Riverside
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
5% lower than Riverside
vs 92/100 in Riverside
2
86% fewer than Riverside
vs 14 nonstops in Riverside
neighbors of santa maria on the map of tradeoffs:
