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→Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan, with the Big House (Michigan Stadium) holding over 107,000 people on football Saturdays, making it briefly the third-largest city in Michigan. Downtown is tree-lined brick streets, great independent bookstores, and a food scene with strong Middle Eastern and Korean energy. Zingerman's Deli is a national pilgrimage. The Huron River runs through. College town energy at its best.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$2,082/mo
$1,013/mo less than San Luis Obispo (49%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$429k
$505k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$5,897/mo
Ann Arbor has $1,434/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
154 days
149 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
51 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor drops below 20°F on 51 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
56 / 100
12.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
135 routes
132 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
366k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.4x fewer events per month than Ann Arbor.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Ann Arbor
categories won
Ann Arbor wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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