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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,765/mo less than Santa Maria (111%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$321k
$738k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,857/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
160 days
177 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Hagerstown has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria. Hagerstown drops below 20°F on 24 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
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
305k metro
the verdict
4
Santa Maria
categories won
4
Hagerstown
categories won
Santa Maria wins on weather and lifestyle, Hagerstown wins on money. Dead even.
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