Los Angeles vs Santa Fe
The short version
- Santa Fe is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 13% lower than in the Los Angeles area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $444,900 in Santa Fe and $921,200 in Los Angeles.
- Households earn more in Los Angeles ($81,939 vs $73,482 median).
- Los Angeles has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 43°F.
- Santa Fe gets far more snow: 20 inches a year vs 0.
- Santa Fe is growing faster: +2.7% since 2020 vs -0.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Santa Fe (21 vs 31 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Santa Fe, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 3,869,089 | 89,837 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.8% | +2.7% |
| People per square mile | 8,223 | 1,720 |
| Median age | 37.2 | 46.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 48% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,939 | $73,482 |
| Median home value | $921,200 | $444,900 |
| Home value to income | 11.2× | 6.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,933 | $1,463 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 98.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 108.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $74,100 |
| Homeowners | 36% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.7 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 20% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 6% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.2% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 12.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 49° | 43° / 18° |
| July high / low | 82° / 65° | 86° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 20 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 26 | 24 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 168 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 86.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.2% | +4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +31.9% | +42% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Los Angeles: January to December. Santa Fe: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Los Angeles weather by month and Santa Fe weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Los Angeles and $74,100 in Santa Fe. Moving from Los Angeles to Santa Fe, you would need about $65,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Los Angeles and Santa Fe
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Los Angeles and Santa Fe.
Which would you pick?
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