El Centro composite
46.7 /100
Grade C+ · weighted across 7 dims
Metro comparison
El Centro vs Santa Maria
El Centro, CA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA side by side, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare and environment, all from the same federal datasets so every number is directly comparable.
- 46.7
- El Centro Life Score
- C+
- El Centro grade
- 39.7
- Santa Maria Life Score
- C-
- Santa Maria grade
Head-to-head verdict
Across the seven dimensions, El Centro scores higher on 4 (cost of living, rent, safety, childcare) and Santa Maria on 3 (wages, schools, environment). The radar shows the full shape; the tables below break out every figure.
El Centro vs Santa Maria across all seven dimensions (each scored 0–100 as a national percentile, bigger area = stronger overall)
Where each metro wins, and by how much
Every dimension is a national percentile (0–100). Each bar leans toward the stronger metro, a long lean is a decisive edge, a near-even split is a toss-up. The radar shows the overall shape; this shows the per-dimension margins.
◖ El Centro Santa Maria ◗
cost of living
42
4
wages
87
97
rent
42
0
safety
13
9
schools
92
97
childcare
9
4
environment
26
81
El Centro and Santa Maria differ across eleven dimensions of livability. El Centro has a cost-of-living index of 95.2 vs Santa Maria's 108.8 (national average = 100). Median salaries are $71,194 in El Centro and $79,314 in Santa Maria. A 2-bedroom averages $1,362/mo vs $3,124/mo.
How to read this matchup
Reading the El Centro vs Santa Maria Comparison
El Centro (CA) and Santa Maria (CA) are assembled here from the same federal data pipeline, BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, FBI Uniform Crime Reports, NCES public-school counts, and EPA environmental indicators, so every number on this page is directly comparable. The overall cost index reads 95.2 for El Centro against 108.8 for Santa Maria, a 13.6-point gap on a scale where 100 equals the U.S. average. HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent, the figure used to set housing-choice voucher payment standards, is $1,362/mo in El Centro and $3,124/mo in Santa Maria, a $1,762/mo difference that compounds to $21,144 over a year.
On wages, BLS OES reports a median salary of $71,194 across 57,840 jobs in El Centro against $79,314 across 193,410 jobs in Santa Maria. Adjusted through the BEA cost-of-living lens, $100,000 earned in El Centro carries the same local purchasing power as $114,315 in Santa Maria - the most honest way to read the salary headline, because nominal wages and rents move together in tight metros. State-level violent crime, the most reliable geographic tier FBI UCR publishes, is 476.8 per 100,000 residents in CA vs 476.8 in CA, with property-crime rates of 1985.9 and 1985.9 respectively.
Schools are reported at the state tier by NCES: CA lists 10,006 public schools at a 21.5:1 student-teacher ratio, while CA lists 10,006 schools at 21.5:1, a signal of class-size staffing, though individual district and school-level variation within each state is substantial. Department of Labor center-based infant care runs $17,920/yr in the El Centro area versus $17,920/yr in Santa Maria - a line item that shifts the real cost-of-living picture for households with children under five far more than headline RPP does. When these pieces are read together rather than in isolation, El Centro and Santa Maria are not simply "cheaper" or "more expensive" - they trade across dimensions, and which metro wins depends on whether your household optimizes for rent, wages, schools, childcare, safety, or environment. Treat the tables below as inputs to that trade-off, not as a single ranking.
Santa Maria composite
39.7 /100
Grade C- · weighted across 7 dims
Cost-of-living gap
-13.6 pts
El Centro vs Santa Maria BEA RPP
2-bed rent delta
$1,762 /mo
Santa Maria priced higher
Composite life score on the national 0–100 scale
El Centro
El Centro composite (Grade C+)
Santa Maria
Santa Maria composite (Grade C-)
Composite is a weighted roll-up of seven dimensions: cost (20%), wages (20%), rent (15%), safety (15%), schools (10%), childcare (10%), environment (10%). Each input normalized to a 0–100 percentile across all metros.
💰 Cost of Living BEA →
| Category | El Centro | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Overall RPP | 95.2 | 108.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Services | 157.2 | 149.8 |
| Rents | 66.3 | 151.4 |
Salary Equivalent Calculator
What salary in Santa Maria gives the same purchasing power as your salary in El Centro?
$
Equivalent in Santa Maria:
$114,315
Based on BEA Regional Price Parities (El Centro: 95.2, Santa Maria: 108.8, national avg = 100).
🏠 Rent (Fair Market Rent) HUD →
| Bedrooms | El Centro | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $939/mo | $2,459/mo |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,038/mo | $2,746/mo |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,362/mo | $3,124/mo |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,845/mo | $4,075/mo |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,285/mo | $4,647/mo |
💼 Wages & Employment BLS →
| Metric | El Centro | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Median Salary | $71,194 | $79,314 |
| Total Employment | 57,840 | 193,410 |
🛡️ Crime Rates (state-level) FBI →
| Crime Type (per 100K) | El Centro (CA) | Santa Maria (CA) |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 476.8 | 476.8 |
| Property Crime | 1985.9 | 1985.9 |
🎓 Schools (state-level) NCES →
| Metric | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 10,006 | 10,006 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 21.5:1 | 21.5:1 |
| Charter Schools | 12.8% | 12.8% |
👶 Childcare Costs (Annual Avg) (state-level) DOL →
| Age Group | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (Center) | $17,920/yr | $17,920/yr |
| Toddler (Center) | $12,300/yr | $12,300/yr |
| Preschool (Center) | $11,385/yr | $11,385/yr |
🌿 Environment (state-level) EPA →
| Metric | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Facilities | 1,426 | 1,426 |
| Water Systems | 3,077 | 3,077 |
| Superfund Sites | 116 | 116 |
| Water Violations | 17,550 | 17,550 |
Government-verified data - Air quality (EPA AQS), water safety (EPA SDWIS), healthcare access (HRSA), and disaster risk (FEMA NRI) are sourced directly from U.S. federal agencies. No crowdsourced estimates.
💨 Air Quality (EPA AQS) EPA AQS →
| Metric | El Centro | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Median AQI | 63.0 | 49.0 |
| Good Air Days | 22.7% | 52.7% |
| Unhealthy Air Days | 50 days | 2 days |
💧 Water Safety (EPA SDWIS, state-level) EPA SDWIS →
| Metric | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Water Safety Score | 14/100 | 14/100 |
| Total Violations | 153,308 | 153,308 |
| Health-Based Violations | 63,983 | 63,983 |
| Systems with Violations | 89.2% | 89.2% |
🏥 Healthcare Access (HRSA, state-level) HRSA →
| Metric | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Access Score | 0/100 | 0/100 |
| Population in Shortage Area | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| HPSA Designations | 1,574 | 1,574 |
HPSA = Health Professional Shortage Area, designated by HRSA. Higher access score = better healthcare availability.
⚠️ Natural Disaster Risk (FEMA NRI, state-level) FEMA NRI →
| Metric | CA | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster Safety Score | 12/100 | 12/100 |
| NRI Risk Score (avg county) | 88.7 | 88.7 |
| Expected Annual Loss Score | 87.9 | 87.9 |
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) scores are county-level percentiles (0–100). Higher disaster safety score = lower relative risk. State-level values are county averages.
Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level. Metro-specific data for these dimensions is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Centro more expensive than Santa Maria? ▼
El Centro has a cost of living index of 95.2 compared to Santa Maria's 108.8 (national average = 100). Santa Maria is 13.6 points above El Centro on the BEA Regional Price Parity scale.
What is the rent difference between El Centro and Santa Maria? ▼
A 2-bedroom apartment averages $1,362/mo in El Centro vs $3,124/mo in Santa Maria, based on HUD Fair Market Rent data. Studios range from $939/mo to $2,459/mo.
How do salaries compare between El Centro and Santa Maria? ▼
The average median salary across all occupations is $71,194 in El Centro and $79,314 in Santa Maria, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. After adjusting for cost of living, $100,000 in El Centro has the same purchasing power as $114,315 in Santa Maria.
Is El Centro or Santa Maria safer? ▼
At the state level, CA has a violent crime rate of 476.8 per 100,000 residents compared to CA's 476.8 per 100,000. Property crime rates are 1985.9 vs 1985.9 per 100,000 respectively, based on FBI Uniform Crime Report data.
How do schools compare between El Centro and Santa Maria? ▼
CA has 10,006 public schools with an average student-teacher ratio of 21.5:1, while CA has 10,006 schools at 21.5:1. Charter schools make up 12.8% of CA schools vs 12.8% in CA. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Where does the comparison data come from? ▼
All data comes from official U.S. government sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (cost of living), HUD (fair market rents), BLS (wages), FBI UCR (crime), NCES (schools), Department of Labor (childcare), EPA (environment, air quality, water safety), HRSA (healthcare access), and FEMA NRI (disaster risk). No crowdsourced estimates or proprietary ratings are used.
Research Guides
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Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, EPA AQS, EPA SDWIS, HRSA, and FEMA NRI. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.
Disclaimer: This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or relocation advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets, current as of 2026. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial