on $100k a year, leaving Toledo
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 Toledo ran you
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Toledo. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
180% more expensive than Toledo(vs $1,197/mo)
9.3%
$443/mo more in state tax than Toledo
vs 3.99% in Toledo
$4,206/mo
$2,598 less than Toledo
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
439% more expensive than Toledo
vs $196k in Toledo
441k
vs 600k in Toledo
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Toledo only manages 159 of those.
Noticeably quieter than Toledo. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
59/100
7% higher than Toledo
vs 55/100 in Toledo
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
53% higher than Toledo
vs 57/100 in Toledo
2
50% fewer than Toledo
vs 4 nonstops in Toledo
cities that play in santa maria's register:
