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→El Paso
El Paso has the Franklin Mountains running right through the middle of the city (which is rare), with hiking trails inside city limits and the desert wide open just past the suburbs. The Mexican food is exceptional in ways that the rest of Texas doesn't quite match (it's true regional border food). Ciudad Juarez is literally next door across the Rio Grande. The light at sunset is unreal.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,473/mo
$1,622/mo less than San Luis Obispo (110%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$231k
$703k 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
$6,860/mo
El Paso has $2,397/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
222 days
81 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
60 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
El Paso has 46 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
65 / 100
3.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
13 routes
10 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
872k metro
San Luis Obispo has 3.0x fewer events per month than El Paso.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
El Paso
categories won
El Paso wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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