Residential comparison · 13 facts
Paso Robles, 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 Paso Robles needs about $86,500 in Santa Maria to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Santa Maria, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Paso Robles.
A few differences
- Paso Robles is higher on median household income ($92,228 vs $84,746).
- Santa Maria is lower on cost of living index (123 vs 133).
- Santa Maria is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,856/mo vs $1,917/mo).
Paso Robles vs Santa Maria · facet by facet
| Facet | Paso Robles, CA | Santa Maria, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $687,200 | $531,700 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,917/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 | 133 | 123 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $92,228 | $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: Paso Robles, CA · Santa Maria, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Paso Robles cheaper than Santa Maria?
- Santa Maria has the lower day-to-day cost index (123 vs 133 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 Paso Robles?
- A household earning $85,000 in Paso Robles needs about $86,500 in Santa Maria to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Santa Maria lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Paso Robles.