Residential comparison · 13 facts
Goleta, CA vs Santa Maria, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Goleta needs about $77,000 in Santa Maria to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Santa Maria, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $93,000 in Goleta.
A few differences
- Goleta is higher on median household income ($122,370 vs $84,746).
- Santa Maria is lower on cost of living index (123 vs 165).
- Santa Maria is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,856/mo vs $2,749/mo).
Goleta vs Santa Maria · facet by facet
| Facet | Goleta, CA | Santa Maria, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,062,100 | $531,700 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,749/mo | $1,856/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 165 | 123 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $122,370 | $84,746 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Goleta, CA · Santa Maria, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Goleta cheaper than Santa Maria?
- Santa Maria has the lower day-to-day cost index (123 vs 165 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Santa Maria equals $85,000 in Goleta?
- A household earning $85,000 in Goleta needs about $77,000 in Santa Maria to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Santa Maria lifestyle costs about $93,000 in Goleta.