01 · the cities
Santa Maria
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.
full dispatch→Albuquerque
Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,489/mo
$1,863/mo less than Santa Maria (125%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$351k
$708k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,353/mo
Albuquerque has $2,147/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
337 days
205 days
132 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
34 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Albuquerque has 34 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria. Albuquerque drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
81 / 100
22.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
23 routes
21 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
924k metro
the verdict
3
Santa Maria
categories won
6
Albuquerque
categories won
Albuquerque wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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