Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo? (San Diego, Bakersfield: housing, rent)

[grimstuff]

How else can the median income be $55, 000 when the median house is $1.2 million dollars??? There is obviously a population of people bringing down that yearly salary and they sure aren't buying any real estate.

This is exactly why its deceptive to judge a city by home values. A city that has a large percentage of retirees will make it look like (in the data) there are a lot of poor people, when in reality, those retirees have a lot of wealth (i.e. the $1.2million home) but have a modest income ($35,000 from their retirement savings). There is a big difference between income and wealth. Up here in SLO its a similar situation, where there is a huge disparity between home values and income. If you look at the data you would see a majority of the population are technically "poor," but that's because you are looking at students subsisting on outside money (either loans or parent's $) and retirees who are income-poor but home-rich.

This is not to say SB doesn't have an actually poor segment of the population, however. It's just pointing out that there are a lot of cities that distort the perception of their economy by their wacky data.

[DLSM33]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

Won't be "stuck" in SLO town. Everything a reasonable person could want is there,, or SB.. Santa Maria is not called Fresno on the Pacific for nuttin. It is, at best a hicktown,, at worst a racist Mexican gang ridden town.. Although the theater is the best between LA and SF... That is the PCFA. Now, before someone accuses me of some sort of bias.. Grandfather settled in the Santa Maria Valley in 1903, family is still there.. that qualifies as an old time family I think. Am fairly familiar with the town,

Sorry to break it to u bud, But every time i go to SLO, that town is filled with people from Fresno... Everyone i asked, "Where are you from?" Fresno. Im from San Diego and never been to fresno but everyone that i met in SLO, about 90 percent were from fresno.... and opposite to stereotypes, they seemed pretty rich

[mloucul63]

Thanks everyone for replying--you gave me a lot to consider and..oops..didn't mean to stir up so much debate but I loved the inside views. Thanks.

[greatbasinguide]

Sorry to break it to u bud, But every time i go to SLO, that town is filled with people from Fresno... Everyone i asked, "Where are you from?" Fresno. Im from San Diego and never been to fresno but everyone that i met in SLO, about 90 percent were from fresno.... and opposite to stereotypes, they seemed pretty rich

Gee what a pleasant post, I especially like the "Sorry to break it to u bud" part... I am not sure your point, if you lived in Fresno, wouldn't you rather be in SLO? Your last paragraph makes no sense if you knew the area. The number of second homes located in Southern San Luis Obispo County owned by Fresnoians is pretty high. Considering the cost of housing, you can predict wealth, on the part of the "Valley People".

The SLO stereo type is wealthy. The neighborhoods are filled with fine old homes with carefully maintained landscaping,, all signs of money.

By the way, You is spelled with a Y and an o and a u.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

SLO over both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. Weather, amenities, cool college town, downtown flavor ...

[infome]

Santa Barbara is a nice place to visit. The cost of housing is high. Traffic is bad on the freeway. Good entertainment, nightlife and other things to see and do. Santa Barbara is a rich town, college town and a tourist town.

Santa Maria is a nice place to live because the cost of housing is well below Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. No night life. Very good PCPA. Santa Maria has gangs.

Santa Barbara has a violent gang problem within the city and from visiting gang members from Ventura and Oxnard.

San Luis Obispo has a nice downtown district and alot of entertainment and night life. SLO is a college town. Cost of housing is high. San Luis County has gangs.

If you want to get involved in community activities, live in Santa Maria. Santa Maria is having growing pains and planning for the future is now in progress.

If you live in Santa Maria you could visit Santa Barbara and most of San Luis Obispo county on day trips.

You would be welcomed to live is Santa Maria.

Stay away from Lompoc. Check out Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach.

[GregJ]

Why do you say that?

[greatbasinguide]

Gangs, Crime, low income areas,

[grimstuff]

I am skeptical of anyone pointing out gang activity. Like drugs in general, gangs that are involved in distributing them are ubiquitous. It's one of those things where if you are not socially involved with that underbelly which every city has, chances are you will never be affected by it.
Of course, I admit there are areas worse than others, where drug/gang activity is more prevelent, or at least more in the open. But I don't think the SLO vs. SB debate can legitimately involve gang activity as an issue.

[bobizzy3]

Santa Barbara has a very old Mexican, Hispanic, Latin,, (take your pick,),, population, because they were here first,,, so you will find many old families bought there homes before it was '"SANTA BARBARA" ,, Mexicans settled Santa Barbara. Drive the old neighborhoods and you will see the old wood frame house from the forties and fifties. Then add to that the proximity of Carpenteria, Ventura, and Oxnard, and BINGO you have a major gang problem.

You will be affected by gangs and their activities if you live where they commit their crimes. It does not matter where THEY live. Santa Barbara has a gang problem, San Luis Obispo does not. Santa Maria has a gang problem.

Santa Barbara has some big city problems,, Santa Maria has some big city gang problems.. San Luis Obispo has it's own crime issues but very different than SB and SM. Much fewer crimes of violence. Muder, rape and robbery.

It is evident that Grimstuff,, has no first hand experience with the crime problems in these cities and speaks like a typical lay person, who lives in a upper middle class caccoon.

Lompoc is an Air Force town, coupled with a Agri-business economy which requires many low paid farm workers,, guess where they come from? and what they bring with them,,,, their own form of justice,, it's called a drive by shooting,, Not as bad as Santa Maria,,only because it is isolated, off of Hwy 101, and it has a smaller population.