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→Eugene
Eugene is Track Town USA (Hayward Field is the spiritual home of American distance running), the University of Oregon, and a hippie-academic-outdoorsy culture that's been here since the '60s and isn't going anywhere. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers meet just outside town. Saturday Market downtown has been running for over 50 years. Coffee and craft beer are taken seriously. Misty in winter, glorious in summer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,799/mo
$1,296/mo less than San Luis Obispo (72%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$456k
$479k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$5,805/mo
Eugene has $1,342/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
206 days
97 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Eugene.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
75 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
9 routes
6 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
381k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.7x fewer events per month than Eugene.
the verdict
1
San Luis Obispo
categories won
7
Eugene
categories won
Eugene wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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