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→Montgomery
Montgomery is civil rights ground zero: Rosa Parks' bus, the start of the Selma march, Dr. King's Dexter Avenue church. The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (the lynching memorial) are essential and devastating in equal measure. The city is also the Alabama state capital, with the river curving past, and the food and music scenes have grown up in the last decade. Heavy and beautiful.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,376/mo
$1,976/mo less than Santa Maria (144%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$212k
$847k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,541/mo
Montgomery has $2,335/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
181 days
156 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
29 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Montgomery has 29 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
44 / 100
15.0 pts behind Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
3 routes
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
385k metro
the verdict
3
Santa Maria
categories won
4
Montgomery
categories won
Montgomery wins on money. Santa Maria has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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