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→Toledo
Toledo is the Glass City, with a long history of glassmaking (Owens-Illinois, Libbey, Pilkington), and the Toledo Museum of Art's glass pavilion is genuinely world-class and free. The Mud Hens (yes, Klinger's team) play minor league ball downtown. Sitting between Detroit and Cleveland on Lake Erie, Toledo has serious walleye fishing and a real lake-town pace. Cheaper than its bigger neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,352/mo
$1,197/mo
$2,155/mo less than Santa Maria (180%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$196k
$863k less than Santa Maria
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,206/mo
$6,804/mo
Toledo has $2,598/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
159 days
178 fewer than Santa Maria
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Toledo drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Santa Maria.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
59 / 100
55 / 100
4.0 pts behind Santa Maria
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
441k metro
600k metro
the verdict
3
Santa Maria
categories won
4
Toledo
categories won
Toledo wins on money. Santa Maria has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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