Santa Barbara County · California · West · 110k residents
Santa Maria, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Santa Maria: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Santa Maria is $531,700, 25% below the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,856/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 123 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $84,746 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Santa Maria is $531,700, 24.9% below the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Household income: Median household income is $84,746, 14.6% below the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Adult education: 15.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.5% below the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 6.3 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Central Coast city where barbecue, vineyards, agriculture, and ocean access share the table.
Known for: Santa Maria-style barbecue, strawberries, wine country, and beaches.
Calendar note: The Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival is a signature event.
Story source: Santa Maria Valley tourism resources
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Santa Maria about 12 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 260 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 29 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Santa Maria side by side
Cost of living index
123
ACS median home value
$531,700
2-bedroom rent
$1,856/mo
Median household income
$84,746
Housing momentum
How fast Santa Maria's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
77/100
Heating
Ranks Santa Maria's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Santa Maria's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $531,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,621/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,856/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 123 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $84,746 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 110k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 73°F |
| January low | 41°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.7% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +4.9% |
| Rent MoM | +1.5% |
| Ocean coast | 12 mi |
| Big lake | 261 mi |
| Mountains | 144 mi |
| Major airport | 129 mi |
| Ski resort | 164 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
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Real listings in Santa Maria
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Santa Maria, CA?
- Santa Maria indexes at 123 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,856/mo and a acs median home value of $531,700.
- How much does a house cost in Santa Maria?
- The acs median home value in Santa Maria is $531,700, 25% below the California median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Santa Maria?
- A two-bedroom in Santa Maria rents for about $1,856/mo.