Rancho Cordova vs Santa Maria
The short version
- Rancho Cordova is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Santa Maria area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $477,600 in Rancho Cordova and $531,700 in Santa Maria.
- Households earn more in Rancho Cordova ($89,585 vs $84,746 median).
- Santa Maria has the warmer winter: January highs of 65°F vs 57°F.
- Rancho Cordova has more scorching days: 90 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 6.
- Rancho Cordova is growing faster: +10.4% since 2020 vs +1.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Santa Maria (22 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Rancho Cordova, CA | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 87,554 | 111,390 |
| Growth since 2020 | +10.4% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,533 | 4,883 |
| Median age | 36.0 | 29.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32% | 16% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $89,585 | $84,746 |
| Median home value | $477,600 | $531,700 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 6.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,787 | $1,925 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.7 | 108.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 130.2 | 151.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $80,000 | $81,600 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.7 | 22.4 |
| Work from home | 20% | 5% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 17.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 41° | 65° / 41° |
| July high / low | 94° / 61° | 73° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 90 | 6 |
| Nights below freezing | 4 | 9 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 10 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.1 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 35% | 45% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +2.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +19.9% | +43.7% |
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: Rancho Cordova: February to May and October to November. Santa Maria: February to November.
Full monthly tables: Rancho Cordova weather by month and Santa Maria weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $80,000 in Rancho Cordova and $81,600 in Santa Maria. Moving from Rancho Cordova to Santa Maria, you would need about $76,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Rancho Cordova and Santa Maria
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Rancho Cordova and Santa Maria.
Which would you pick?
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