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→Cleveland
Cleveland is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the West Side Market's 100+ years of pierogies and bratwurst, and Lake Erie sunsets that put the coastal hype to shame. The Cuyahoga River caught fire so many times it inspired the Clean Water Act. The Cleveland Orchestra is consistently ranked among the world's best. Summers on the lake are gorgeous, and the food scene is having a real moment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,419/mo
$1,933/mo less than Santa Maria (136%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$252k
$807k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,582/mo
Cleveland has $2,376/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
159 days
178 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
27 days
days below 20°F per year
Cleveland drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
63 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
56 routes
54 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
2.2M metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
6
Cleveland
categories won
Cleveland wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Maria salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works