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→Birmingham
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,407/mo
$1,688/mo less than San Luis Obispo (120%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$261k
$674k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,510/mo
Birmingham has $2,047/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
171 days
132 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Birmingham has 14 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
61 / 100
7.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
20 routes
17 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
1.2M metro
San Luis Obispo has 9.0x fewer events per month than Birmingham.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Birmingham
categories won
Birmingham wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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