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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,508/mo less than San Luis Obispo (95%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$321k
$613k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,600/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
160 days
143 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 8 more days above 95°F each year than Hagerstown. Hagerstown drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
56 / 100
12.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
305k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.8x fewer events per month than Hagerstown.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Hagerstown
categories won
Hagerstown wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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