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→El Paso
El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,473/mo
$1,879/mo less than Santa Maria (128%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$231k
$828k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,860/mo
El Paso has $2,654/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
222 days
115 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
60 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
El Paso has 60 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
65 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
13 routes
11 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
872k metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
6
El Paso
categories won
El Paso wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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