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→Boise
Boise is basically Denver before Denver got Denver-y: walkable downtown, foothills you can run into on your lunch break, and a river slicing right through the middle of town. The Basque Block downtown anchors the biggest Basque community in the U.S., which nobody sees coming. The vibe is 'we close our laptops and go outside,' and the trails make that very easy to do. Locals would prefer you didn't tell anyone.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,794/mo
$1,558/mo less than Santa Maria (87%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$490k
$569k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,056/mo
Boise has $1,850/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
166 days
171 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Boise has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria. Boise drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
82 / 100
23.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
16 routes
14 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
827k metro
the verdict
3
Santa Maria
categories won
6
Boise
categories won
Boise wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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