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→Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids has won Beer City USA multiple times, hosts ArtPrize (one of the world's largest open art competitions every fall), and built itself on furniture (Steelcase, Herman Miller). The Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park is a sleeper world-class attraction. Downtown is walkable, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous in autumn, and Lake Michigan beaches are 30 minutes west. Quietly excellent.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,620/mo
$1,732/mo less than Santa Maria (107%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$353k
$706k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,359/mo
Grand Rapids has $2,153/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
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
50 days
days below 20°F per year
Grand Rapids drops below 20°F on 50 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
56 / 100
3.0 pts behind Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
20 routes
18 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
1.2M metro
the verdict
3
Santa Maria
categories won
5
Grand Rapids
categories won
Grand Rapids wins on money. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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