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→Hickory
Hickory is North Carolina's furniture capital, with the Hickory Furniture Mart and the surrounding factories shaping the local economy. The downtown has come back nicely with breweries and a walkable feel. The Blue Ridge foothills start just outside town. Lake Hickory is right there for boating. Cheaper than the bigger NC cities, with mountain access an hour away.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,918/mo less than Santa Maria (134%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$268k
$791k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,524/mo
Hickory has $2,318/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
189 days
148 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Hickory has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
64 / 100
5.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
0 routes
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
370k metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
5
Hickory
categories won
Hickory wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Maria has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Maria salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works