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→Cape Coral
Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable canals, more than any city in the world, which means many homes literally have boat docks in the backyard. It's a planned community that grew up around water, with easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf. The boating, fishing, and manatee-watching are the main events. It's flat, sunny, and built for waterfront life.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,859/mo
$1,493/mo less than Santa Maria (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$355k
$704k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,474/mo
Cape Coral has $2,268/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
250 days
87 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Maria edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
55 / 100
4.0 pts behind Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
33 routes
31 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
835k metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
5
Cape Coral
categories won
Cape Coral wins on money. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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