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→Charlotte
Charlotte is banking towers (it's the second-biggest banking center in the country after NYC) wrapped in pine trees and southern hospitality. Uptown is the downtown (Charlotteans correct you on this immediately), the NASCAR Hall of Fame anchors a real motorsport scene, and the Whitewater Center lets you raft inside the city limits. Growth is fast, breweries are everywhere, and barbecue gets the Carolina vinegar treatment.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,728/mo
$1,367/mo less than San Luis Obispo (79%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$391k
$543k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,230/mo
Charlotte has $1,767/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
200 days
103 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Charlotte.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
51 / 100
17.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
141 routes
138 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.8M metro
San Luis Obispo has 11.3x fewer events per month than Charlotte.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Charlotte
categories won
Charlotte leads on money and wins overall.
run your numbers
How far does your San Luis Obispo salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works