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→Reno
Reno calls itself the Biggest Little City in the World and means it: casinos and neon, sure, but also a quietly cool downtown, a strong outdoor culture (Tahoe is 45 minutes south), and the Truckee River running right through the middle of everything. The University of Nevada keeps things young. Burning Man buses depart from here every August. Sunnier and drier than people expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,908/mo
$1,444/mo less than Santa Maria (76%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$574k
$485k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,425/mo
Reno has $2,219/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
201 days
136 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
28 days
days below 20°F per year
Reno drops below 20°F on 28 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
71 / 100
12.0 pts ahead of Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
13 routes
11 more direct routes than Santa Maria
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
565k metro
the verdict
2
Santa Maria
categories won
6
Reno
categories won
Reno 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