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→Gainesville
Gainesville is the University of Florida, the Gators, and a college town with serious natural assets: 30+ named springs within an hour's drive, including Ginnie, Devil's Den, and Ichetucknee for tubing. The food scene is solid and cheap (it's still a college town), and downtown's grown up with breweries and music venues. Surrounded by oak forests and prairie. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers got their start here.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,645/mo
$1,450/mo less than San Luis Obispo (88%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$317k
$618k 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
$6,688/mo
Gainesville has $2,225/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
17 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
63 / 100
5.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
5 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
350k metro
San Luis Obispo has 3.3x more events per month than Gainesville.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
4
Gainesville
categories won
Gainesville wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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