with $100k coming in, swapping out of St. Louis

change
San Luis Obispo, CA cityscape

if you left st. louis

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

$2,068

more expensive each month than St. Louis

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

119% more expensive than St. Louis(vs $1,411/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$383/mo more in state tax than St. Louis

vs 4.7% in St. Louis

03after rent

$4,463/mo

$2,068 less than St. Louis

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

04a house here

$934k

238% more expensive than St. Louis

vs $277k in St. Louis

05metro size

282k

vs 2.8M in St. Louis

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

303

pleasant days a year, in san luis obispo.

St. Louis only logs 174 pleasant days.

Lighter on events: St. Louis packs 8.0× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

68/100

0% lower than St. Louis

vs 68/100 in St. Louis

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

·walk score®

98/100

13% higher than St. Louis

vs 87/100 in St. Louis

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

3

95% fewer than St. Louis

vs 60 nonstops in St. Louis

04 · see also

same energy as san luis obispo, different zip code:

compare san luis obispo with: