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→Des Moines
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,268/mo
$1,827/mo less than San Luis Obispo (144%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$300k
$635k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $2,102/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
151 days
152 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
55 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Des Moines. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 55 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
55 / 100
13.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
17 routes
14 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
737k metro
San Luis Obispo has 4.6x fewer events per month than Des Moines.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Des Moines
categories won
Des Moines wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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