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→Cape Coral
Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable canals, more than any city in the world, which means many homes literally have boat docks in the backyard. It's a planned community that grew up around water, with easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf. The boating, fishing, and manatee-watching are the main events. It's flat, sunny, and built for waterfront life.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,859/mo
$1,236/mo less than San Luis Obispo (66%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$355k
$579k 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
$6,474/mo
Cape Coral has $2,011/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
250 days
53 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Cape Coral.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
55 / 100
13.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
33 routes
30 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
835k metro
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Cape Coral
categories won
Cape Coral leads on money and wins overall.
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