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→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,446/mo
$1,649/mo less than San Luis Obispo (114%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$309k
$625k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $2,169/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
152 days
151 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Harrisburg. Harrisburg drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
12 routes
9 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
606k metro
San Luis Obispo has 3.3x fewer events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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