01 · the cities
San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→San Luis Obispo
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,890/mo
$3,095/mo
$205/mo more than San Diego (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$934k
$76k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$4,463/mo
San Diego has $205/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
332 days
303 days
29 fewer than San Diego
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
14 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
68 / 100
7.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
3 routes
52 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
282k metro
San Diego has 17.4x more events per month than San Luis Obispo.
the verdict
6
San Diego
categories won
1
San Luis Obispo
categories won
San Diego wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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