Atascadero vs Santa Maria
Atascadero, California versus Santa Maria, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Atascadero and Santa Maria score about the same overall (45 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Atascadero | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $89k | $81k |
| Cost of Living | $71k | $71k |
| Home Value | $630k | $438k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.73% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.38% | 19.94% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 6.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 31.6 in | 13.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 259 days | 259 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 120 days | 204 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.8 | 67.9 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 31 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.9 | 81.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1149/100k | 1526/100k |
| Property Crime | 1432/100k | 2785/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 29,758 | 109,543 |
| Median Age | 40.9 | 29.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.33 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 70.1% | 15.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 22.2% | 77.8% |
| Asian (%) | 1.6% | 4.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.4% | 1.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 10.9/20 | 15.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 147 mi | 134 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.3% | 90.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 23.19 | 13.97 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Atascadero or Santa Maria more affordable?
- Santa Maria has the lower cost of living: its index is $71k, compared with Atascadero's $71k and Santa Maria's $71k. Median rent is $2k in Atascadero versus $2k in Santa Maria.
- Is Atascadero or Santa Maria safer?
- Atascadero has the lower violent crime rate. Atascadero reports 1149/100k and Santa Maria reports 1526/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Atascadero or Santa Maria?
- The median home value is $630k in Atascadero and $438k in Santa Maria, so homes are more affordable in Santa Maria.