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→Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi is the Texas Gulf coast city where Selena grew up (the memorial on the bayfront is moving). The USS Lexington aircraft carrier is permanently parked downtown as a museum. The beaches at Padre Island National Seashore are some of the longest undeveloped stretches of barrier island in the country. Sun-soaked, breezy, and salt-aired in equal measure.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,410/mo
$1,685/mo less than San Luis Obispo (120%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$221k
$713k 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
$6,923/mo
Corpus Christi has $2,460/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
55 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Corpus Christi has 41 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
50 / 100
18.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
446k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.7x fewer events per month than Corpus Christi.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
4
Corpus Christi
categories won
Corpus Christi wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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