$100k a year, no longer in Pensacola

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San Luis Obispo, CA cityscape

if you left pensacola

San Luis Obispo

ca · metro 282k

photo: Juan Montes / pexels

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

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,118

the monthly cost of moving past Pensacola

San Luis Obispo doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what San Luis Obispo is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
landable, recorded on the san luis obispo entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,095/mo

77% more expensive than Pensacola(vs $1,752/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$775/mo more in state tax than Pensacola

vs 0% in Pensacola

03after rent

$4,463/mo

$2,118 less than Pensacola

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

04a house here

$934k

209% more expensive than Pensacola

vs $303k in Pensacola

05metro size

282k

vs 530k in Pensacola

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

303

pleasant days a year, in san luis obispo.

Pensacola barely cracks 226 pleasant ones.

But the calendar thins out: Pensacola stays 2.6× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

1% lower than Pensacola

vs 69/100 in Pensacola

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

·walk score®

98/100

53% higher than Pensacola

vs 64/100 in Pensacola

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

73% fewer than Pensacola

vs 11 nonstops in Pensacola

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as san luis obispo:

see also

oxnard

$100/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$111/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

naples

$1,151/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san luis obispo with:

OxnardHonoluluNaples