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→Austin
Austin runs on breakfast tacos, live music, and a stubborn streak of weirdness that the tech boom hasn't fully smoothed over. The east side reinvents itself every few years and still has the vinyl shops, vintage western wear, and honky-tonks to prove it. Barton Springs holds 68°F year-round and locals plan their summers around it. There's a swimming hole, a taco truck, or a guitar within five blocks of wherever you're standing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,583/mo
$1,512/mo less than San Luis Obispo (96%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$433k
$501k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,750/mo
Austin has $2,287/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
170 days
133 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
53 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Austin has 39 more days above 95°F each 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
42 routes
39 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.5M metro
San Luis Obispo has 12.0x fewer events per month than Austin.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Austin
categories won
Austin wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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