on $100k a year, leaving Tallahassee
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 Tallahassee
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
120% more expensive than Tallahassee(vs $1,527/mo)
9.3%
$775/mo more in state tax than Tallahassee
vs 0% in Tallahassee
$4,206/mo
$2,600 less than Tallahassee
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
267% more expensive than Tallahassee
vs $289k in Tallahassee
441k
vs 393k in Tallahassee
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Tallahassee only logs 186 pleasant days.
Noticeably quieter than Tallahassee. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
59/100
2% higher than Tallahassee
vs 58/100 in Tallahassee
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
13% higher than Tallahassee
vs 77/100 in Tallahassee
2
71% fewer than Tallahassee
vs 7 nonstops in Tallahassee
same energy as santa maria, different zip code:
