on $100k a year, leaving Sacramento
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 Sacramento 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
51% more expensive than Sacramento(vs $2,226/mo)
9.3%
vs 9.3% in Sacramento
$4,206/mo
$1,126 less than Sacramento
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
80% more expensive than Sacramento
vs $589k in Sacramento
441k
vs 2.4M in Sacramento
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Sacramento barely cracks 211 pleasant ones.
Sacramento hosts Infinity× more events.
59/100
21% lower than Sacramento
vs 75/100 in Sacramento
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
11% lower than Sacramento
vs 98/100 in Sacramento
2
93% fewer than Sacramento
vs 28 nonstops in Sacramento
cities that play in santa maria's register:
