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→Hartford
Hartford is the insurance capital of America (Aetna, Travelers, the works), with the steeple of the Travelers building visible from miles away. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in his weird and wonderful Hartford house, now a museum. The Connecticut River curves past downtown, and the surrounding small towns are New England postcard material. Quieter than its neighbors, with serious history.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,931/mo
$1,164/mo less than San Luis Obispo (60%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$411k
$523k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$5,944/mo
Hartford has $1,481/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
148 days
155 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
47 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 13 more days above 95°F each year than Hartford. Hartford drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
67 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
26 routes
23 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
1.2M metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.9x fewer events per month than Hartford.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Hartford
categories won
Hartford wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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