$100k salary, packing up from South Bend

change
San Luis Obispo, CA cityscape

instead of south bend

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

$2,229

the monthly premium over South Bend

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

123% more expensive than South Bend(vs $1,391/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$525/mo more in state tax than South Bend

vs 3% in South Bend

03after rent

$4,463/mo

$2,229 less than South Bend

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

04a house here

$934k

306% more expensive than South Bend

vs $230k in South Bend

05metro size

282k

vs 324k in South Bend

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

303

pleasant days a year, in san luis obispo.

South Bend barely cracks 157 pleasant ones.

South Bend hosts 1.7× more events.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

28% higher than South Bend

vs 53/100 in South Bend

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

·walk score®

98/100

20% higher than South Bend

vs 82/100 in South Bend

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

67% fewer than South Bend

vs 9 nonstops in South Bend

04 · see also

same energy as san luis obispo, different zip code:

compare san luis obispo with: