on $100k a year, leaving Wichita
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 Wichita 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
186% more expensive than Wichita(vs $1,173/mo)
9.3%
$300/mo more in state tax than Wichita
vs 5.7% in Wichita
$4,206/mo
$2,479 less than Wichita
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$1059k
378% more expensive than Wichita
vs $221k in Wichita
441k
vs 653k in Wichita
field notes, weather & such.
337
pleasant days a year, in santa maria.
Wichita only logs 164 pleasant days.
Lighter on events: Wichita packs Infinity× more into a month.
59/100
13% higher than Wichita
vs 52/100 in Wichita
Closest outdoor draw: Channel Islands National Park, 73 mi.
87/100
26% higher than Wichita
vs 69/100 in Wichita
2
82% fewer than Wichita
vs 11 nonstops in Wichita
neighbors of santa maria on the map of tradeoffs:
