Santa Maria, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Santa Maria, CA Summary
Cost of living in Santa Maria research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Santa Maria is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Santa Maria is 136, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Santa Maria is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Santa Maria ranks as the #221 cheapest in California out of 634.
Santa Maria ranks as the #5,256 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Santa Maria is $631,565.
The median income in Santa Maria is $84,617.
Table Of Contents
Santa Maria's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Santa Maria, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Maria has an overall cost of living index of 136, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Santa Maria has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Santa Maria ranks as #221 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Maria ranks as the #413 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Santa Maria, check out:
In California
In America
Santa Maria Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Maria. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Santa Maria is 103.
The Groceries index in Santa Maria is 109.
The Health index in Santa Maria is 93.
The Housing index in Santa Maria is 184.
The Transportation index in Santa Maria is 128.
The Utilities index in Santa Maria is 158.
| Living Expense | Santa Maria | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 136 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 103 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 109 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 93 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 184 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 158 | 128 | 100 | |
Santa Maria, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Santa Maria is $631,565.
The Median Rent in Santa Maria is $1,842.
The Median Income in Santa Maria is $84,617.
The Home Value To Income in Santa Maria is 7.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Maria is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Santa Maria | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $631,565 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,842 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $84,617 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Santa Maria, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Santa Maria Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.48 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $18.12 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $89.33 | $45.56 |
Detailed Santa Maria Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.77 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.63 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.9 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
Detailed Santa Maria Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $142.2 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $131.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $131.5 | $113.29 |
Detailed Santa Maria Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.62 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.0 | $59.92 |
Detailed Santa Maria Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $231.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.81 | $192.25 |
Santa Maria SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Maria
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Maria. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lompoc, CA has a cost of living index of 131, 1.0x Santa Maria.
Orcutt, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 1.1x Santa Maria.
Arroyo Grande, CA has a cost of living index of 167, 1.2x Santa Maria.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lompoc, CA | 43,819 | 131 | 1.0x |
| Orcutt, CA | 31,284 | 149 | 1.1x |
| Arroyo Grande, CA | 18,412 | 167 | 1.2x |
| Nipomo, CA | 17,266 | 162 | 1.2x |
| Grover Beach, CA | 12,687 | 157 | 1.2x |
| Guadalupe, CA | 8,422 | 129 | 0.9x |
| Oceano, CA | 7,098 | 138 | 1.0x |
