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→Hartford
Hartford is the insurance capital of America (Aetna, Travelers, the works), with the steeple of the Travelers building visible from miles away. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in his weird and wonderful Hartford house, now a museum. The Connecticut River curves past downtown, and the surrounding small towns are New England postcard material. Quieter than its neighbors, with serious history.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,931/mo
$1,421/mo less than Santa Maria (74%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$411k
$648k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$5,944/mo
Hartford has $1,738/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
148 days
189 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Hartford drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
67 / 100
8.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
26 routes
24 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
1.2M metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
6
Hartford
categories won
Hartford wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
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