$100k a year, no longer in Lancaster

change
San Luis Obispo, CA cityscape

instead of lancaster

San Luis Obispo

ca · metro 282k

a dispatch from

san luis obispo

CA

35.28°N

120.66°W

San Luis Obispo (SLO to locals) sits halfway between LA and San Francisco on the central coast, with Cal Poly students, gorgeous wine country (Edna Valley and Paso Robles nearby), and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over downtown. It's been called the happiest city in America (multiple studies, Oprah included), and the vibe really does back that up. Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like. Mellow and beautiful.

metro282k

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,098

the monthly cost of moving past Lancaster

San Luis Obispo is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
landable, recorded on the san luis obispo entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,095/mo

104% more expensive than Lancaster(vs $1,517/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$519/mo more in state tax than Lancaster

vs 3.07% in Lancaster

03after rent

$4,463/mo

$2,098 less than Lancaster

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$934k

143% more expensive than Lancaster

vs $384k in Lancaster

05metro size

282k

vs 559k in Lancaster

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

303

pleasant days a year, in san luis obispo.

Lancaster only logs 158 pleasant days.

33% fewer events than Lancaster. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

8% higher than Lancaster

vs 63/100 in Lancaster

Closest outdoor draw: Montaña de Oro State Park, 6.7 mi.

·walk score®

98/100

1% higher than Lancaster

vs 97/100 in Lancaster

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

200% more than Lancaster

vs 1 nonstops in Lancaster

04 · see also

neighbors of san luis obispo on the map of tradeoffs:

compare san luis obispo with: