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Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA vs Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA

A 2-bedroom in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy costs $183 less per month than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ($2,941 vs $3,124). Median income is $95,977 in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and $112,484 in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy. That's a difference of $2,196 per year in housing costs.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$3,124
2BR Fair Market Rent
39.1% burden
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA
$2,941
2BR Fair Market Rent
31.4% burden

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSanta Maria-Santa BarbaraBoston-Cambridge-Quincy
Studio FMR$2,459$2,359
1BR FMR$2,746$2,476
2BR FMR$3,124$2,941
3BR FMR$4,075$3,526
4BR FMR$4,647$3,894
Median Income$95,977$112,484
Rent Burden39.1%31.4%
Actual Median Rent$2,050$1,940
Median Home Value$735,700$610,900
Population444K4.9M
Renter %47.1%38.2%
Vacancy Rate6.8%5.9%
Poverty Rate13.8%8.9%
YoY Change+4.3%+4%
Min Wage$16.50/hr$15.00/hr

Income Required to Afford a 2-Bedroom

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Annual Income Needed
$124,960
Hourly Wage Needed
$60/hr
Min Wage Work Hours/Week
145.6 hrs
at $16.50/hr (CA min wage)
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA
Annual Income Needed
$117,640
Hourly Wage Needed
$57/hr
Min Wage Work Hours/Week
150.8 hrs
at $15.00/hr (MA min wage)

Frequently Asked Questions

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA is more affordable with a 2BR FMR of $2,941/mo, which is $183 less than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara at $3,124/mo. However, when considering local incomes, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a rent burden of 39.1% vs 31.4% in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy.

A 2-bedroom in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA costs $3,124/mo at Fair Market Rent, while in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA it's $2,941/mo, a difference of $183/mo or $2,196/year.

To afford a 2BR without spending more than 30% of income on rent: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara requires $124,960/year ($60/hr). Boston-Cambridge-Quincy requires $117,640/year ($57/hr).