on $100k a year, leaving San Antonio
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
pricier each month than San Antonio
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
140% more expensive than San Antonio(vs $1,394/mo)
9.3%
$775/mo more in state tax than San Antonio
vs 0% in San Antonio
$4,206/mo
$2,733 less than San Antonio
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
278% more expensive than San Antonio
vs $280k in San Antonio
441k
vs 2.7M in San Antonio
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
San Antonio barely cracks 167 pleasant ones.
Lighter on events: San Antonio packs Infinity× more into a month.
59/100
20% higher than San Antonio
vs 49/100 in San Antonio
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
10% lower than San Antonio
vs 97/100 in San Antonio
2
94% fewer than San Antonio
vs 35 nonstops in San Antonio
cities that play in santa maria's register:
