$100k a year, no longer in Virginia Beach
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 Virginia Beach ran you
Santa Maria costs noticeably more than Virginia Beach. You'd be paying for Santa Maria itself, not for breathing room around it.
a quick ledger.
$3,352/mo
84% more expensive than Virginia Beach(vs $1,819/mo)
9.3%
$296/mo more in state tax than Virginia Beach
vs 5.75% in Virginia Beach
$4,206/mo
$1,829 less than Virginia Beach
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
182% more expensive than Virginia Beach
vs $375k in Virginia Beach
441k
vs 1.8M in Virginia Beach
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Virginia Beach keeps to 211 pleasant days a year.
Virginia Beach hosts Infinity× more events.
59/100
4% higher than Virginia Beach
vs 57/100 in Virginia Beach
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
1% lower than Virginia Beach
vs 88/100 in Virginia Beach
2
88% fewer than Virginia Beach
vs 17 nonstops in Virginia Beach
in the same ballpark as santa maria:
