2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Thornton, CO vs Santa Maria, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Maria or is it cheaper to live in Thornton?
- Santa Maria is 27.5% more expensive than Thornton.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Maria or Thornton?
- Santa Maria housing costs are 4.9% more expensive than Thornton housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Thornton or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Maria.
- Health related expenses are 33.2% more in Santa Maria.
 Thornton, COSanta Maria, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock154.7100
 Food & Groceries100.0  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock113.2100
 Housing160.3  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$565,100$338,100
 Utilities98  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock95.2100
 Miscellaneous111.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Thornton    5 Reviews

Good place. Very suburbany (similar to the Springs). The houses are very small and old and yet still very expensive (albeit cheaper than southern Denver). Actually lots  More

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Over 5 years ago

I like Denver metro, but some cities aren’t too great. Thornton being one of them. Moved here because of highway access, and convenience to DIA for business travel. Am  More

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Over 10 years ago

The quality of life here in not good. The traffic is bad all the time. To try to get to the mountains takes forever! Also most lakes along the front range you can't even  More

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Reviews for Santa Maria    12 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

I live in Orcutt which is a town of around 35,000 on the south side of Santa Maria. Santa Maria has, as everyone has noted, the best climate in the world. It never  More

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I have lived in Santa Maria / Orcutt for several years, but it is time to leave. I have no issues with the weather. Our climate is mild and comfortable with no extremes.  More

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The weather is very mild without a huge temperature change with the seasons. The winters are chilly but not cold and the summers are warm but not hot. Of course there  More

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