Top 5 Places to Live in Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria is a Southern California city of 106,000 just 23 minutes from the beach at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve. The city has a mix of farmland and suburban neighborhoods and is a pleasant place to live.
True to much of Southern California, real estate is fairly expensive, though not as high as some areas. If you’re in an upper or upper middle-class income bracket, you’re sure to find a nice place here. The median family income in Santa Maria is about $63,400, so if you have a bit of money set aside for a down payment on a home, you should do quite well.
Sisquoc / Garey
The largest neighborhood in Santa Maria is Sisquoc / Garey, and for good reason. This mostly rural area is covered in farmland, and homes are spaced apart. Many of the residents are farmers and the median real estate price here is $862,700. If you rent here, expect to pay $2,560 for an apartment.
The homes you’ll find will be mainly mobile homes, and three to five-bedroom houses, all mostly owner-occupied. The houses were built between 1970 and now. There are suburban areas, too, with beautiful, big houses.
The area has a 10% vacancy rate, so if you can afford to live here, there’s a good chance you’ll find a home in one of the area’s quiet neighborhoods.
We mentioned the farms out here, and we should include that many of the residents work in management and professional jobs, some in sales and service, some in manufacturing and labor.
Nearby schools include Bill Libbon Elementary School and Pioneer Valley High School.
W Foster Rd / S Blosser Rd
In this suburban neighborhood, the median real estate price is $724,000 and average rental price is $2,650. The area is full of pretty houses built between 1970 and 2020, most of which are owner-occupied. It’s a little tougher to find a place here if you can afford it, since the vacancy rate is just 2.4%, but persistence pays off.
In the W. Foster Rd. / S. Blosser Rd. neighborhood, you’ll find houses three to five-bedroom homes, and some larger houses, with Spanish roofs and big front lawns. A variety of trees, from evergreen to deciduous, line the streets. Most of the residents here are of higher income and work in executive, management, and professional jobs.
The schools your children will attend are nearby, just south of this neighborhood, and include Patterson Road Elementary School, Lakeview Junior High School, and Delta High School.
W Clark Ave / Marcum St
This neighborhood is a little more affordable for homeowners, with the median real estate price at $582,500. Renters will pay a bit more, averaging $2,690, however.
The W. Clark Ave. / Marcum St. neighborhood is suburban and includes studio to two-bedroom apartments and three to four-bedroom homes. The buildings here were built between the 1940s and 2000.
With a vacancy rate of 5.1%, you may have to look for a little while to find a home here, but it’s certainly doable. Upper middle-income families live here, and they work mostly in professional and executive occupations. Other residents work in the manufacturing and service sectors.
Driving through the neighborhood, it does feel like a step down from the two previously mentioned areas. The homes are closer together while the roads have cracks and could use repair. However, there are a lot of trees and shade, and overall it’s a pleasant area.
This is the area just south of the W. Foster Rd. / S. Blosser Rd. neighborhood, so the schools your children will attend include Patterson Road Elementary School, Lakeview Junior High School, and Delta High School.
Orcutt
This small neighborhood is charming and, well, cute. Maybe that’s why the vacancy rate is just 3.6%. It may be hard to find a place here, but it’s worth trying.
In the Orcutt neighborhood, the median home price is $551,000, while the average rent is $2,836. You’ll find three to five-bedroom, and bigger homes and many apartment complexes, with most of the homes being owner-occupied. The houses here were built between 1940 and 2000.
This neighborhood is in the Orcutt Union School District, and nearby schools include Pine Grove Elementary School, Orcutt Junior High School, and Delta High School.
Harmony Ln / Kenneth Ave
East of the Orcutt area and beside the 101 freeway is the Harmony Ln. / Kenneth Ave. neighborhood, where the median real estate price is $508,600 while the average rent is $3,650. Here, you’ll find mobile homes as well as three to five-bedroom and larger houses built between 1940 and 2000. This is a beautiful and well-maintained area, with big houses, nice lawns, plenty of trees, and pleasant streets.
You’ll find streets with rows of houses and areas made up primarily of apartment complexes, as well as mixed streets. Most of the workforce here works in professional occupations, while others work in manufacturing and labor or service jobs. A full 12.5% work for the government, a large number for any area.
This is also a great family neighborhood with plenty of nearby schools, including Patterson Road Elementary School, Lakeview Junior High School, and Delta High School.
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