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→Allentown
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,809/mo
$1,286/mo less than San Luis Obispo (71%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$359k
$575k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,269/mo
Allentown has $1,806/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
157 days
146 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Allentown. Allentown drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
73 / 100
5.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
9 routes
6 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
874k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.7x fewer events per month than Allentown.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
7
Allentown
categories won
Allentown wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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