landable/cost of living comparison
vs

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

Houston

Houston has no zoning laws (you'll see a taco truck next to a mansion next to a strip mall), the most diverse food scene in America by most rankings, and NASA's mission control out on the edge of town. The Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world. It's sprawling and culturally enormous, with a Vietnamese pho district, Nigerian jollof spots, and a Tex-Mex scene that takes itself seriously. Bigger than you think, in every direction.

full dispatch

02 · the money

Median rent

$3,095/mo

$1,610/mo

$1,485/mo less than San Luis Obispo (92%)

Median home price

$934k

$311k

$623k less than San Luis Obispo

State income tax

9.3%

0%

Gross left after rent

$4,463/mo

$6,723/mo

Houston has $2,260/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

303 days

171 days

132 fewer than San Luis Obispo

Extreme heat days

14 days

54 days

days above 95°F per year

Extreme cold days

0 days

1 days

days below 20°F per year

Houston has 40 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.

04 · the life

OutdoorScore

68 / 100

55 / 100

13.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo

Walk Score®

98 / 100

77 / 100

21 pts behind San Luis Obispo

Nonstop flights

3 routes

176 routes

173 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo

Metro size

282k metro

7.5M metro

San Luis Obispo has 21.2x fewer events per month than Houston.

the verdict

3

San Luis Obispo

categories won

of 9

5

Houston

categories won

Houston wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.

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We use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.

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