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→Cincinnati
Cincinnati is chili served on spaghetti (Skyline and Gold Star will fight you about which is better), German heritage in Over-the-Rhine's beer halls, and a riverfront that looks straight across at Kentucky. OTR's brick warehouses have become one of the best urban revitalizations in the country. The Reds play in baseball's oldest professional city. Pronounce it correctly and the locals warm up fast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,549/mo
$1,546/mo less than San Luis Obispo (100%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$316k
$619k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,452/mo
Cincinnati has $1,989/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
162 days
141 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
26 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Cincinnati. Cincinnati drops below 20°F on 26 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
72 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
47 routes
44 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.3M metro
San Luis Obispo has 8.7x fewer events per month than Cincinnati.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
7
Cincinnati
categories won
Cincinnati wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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