01 · the cities
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→Albuquerque
Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,489/mo
$1,606/mo less than San Luis Obispo (108%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$351k
$583k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,353/mo
Albuquerque has $1,890/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
303 days
205 days
98 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
34 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Albuquerque has 20 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo. Albuquerque drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
81 / 100
13.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
23 routes
20 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
924k metro
San Luis Obispo has 4.2x fewer events per month than Albuquerque.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Albuquerque
categories won
Albuquerque wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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