Santa Maria, California
Among the top 2% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 4% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 43% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 77% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 34% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 1% for comfortable days
- bottom 3% for income tax
Santa Maria is a city in California with about 110,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, comfortable days, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on cost of living and income tax.
Official websiteci.santa-maria.ca.us (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comfortable
cool
80%61%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.5 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$81k73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$71kbetter than 5% of US places
Home Value$438k88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 10% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 17% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.69%better than 73% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden19.94%better than 7% of US places
Unemployment6.3%better than 29% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)53°F93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)64°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation13.3 in6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days259 daysbetter than 77% of US places
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 84% of US places
Comfortable Days204 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk67.9better than 47% of US places
Air Quality31 AQIbetter than 90% of US places
School Quality81.5better than 76% of US places
Violent Crime1526/100kbetter than 16% of US places
Property Crime2785/100kbetter than 8% of US places
Community
Population109,54399th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age29.38th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6596th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0054th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1318th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)15.0%6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.2%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)77.8%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.5%90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.6%36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 75% of US places
Walkability15.1/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance134 mibetter than 22% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access90.3%better than 65% of US places
Amenities Nearby13.97better than 17% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 46% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Maria an affordable place to live?
- Santa Maria is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $71k, better than 5% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Maria?
- The median home value in Santa Maria is $438k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Maria?
- Median household income in Santa Maria is $81k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Maria?
- Median gross rent in Santa Maria is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Maria safe?
- Santa Maria is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1526/100k (better than 16%). Property crime is 2785/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Maria?
- Santa Maria averages 64°F in July and 53°F in January, with 13.3 in of annual precipitation and about 259 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Maria?
- Public-school quality in Santa Maria is above average, scoring better than 76% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Maria?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Maria is 22 min.
Other places in San Luis Obispo County
Places near Santa Maria
Compare Santa Maria
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)