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→Des Moines
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,268/mo
$2,084/mo less than Santa Maria (164%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$300k
$759k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $2,359/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
151 days
186 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
55 / 100
4.0 pts behind Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
17 routes
15 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
737k metro
the verdict
4
Santa Maria
categories won
5
Des Moines
categories won
Des Moines wins on money. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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