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→Huntsville
Huntsville is Rocket City, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Saturn V rocket on display at the Space and Rocket Center, and a tech and engineering economy that punches way above the city's size. Cummings Research Park is the second-largest research park in the U.S. The Tennessee River and Monte Sano State Park give it a quiet outdoor side. Affordable and surprisingly smart.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,374/mo
$1,721/mo less than San Luis Obispo (125%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$316k
$619k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,543/mo
Huntsville has $2,080/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
177 days
126 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
13 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Huntsville drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
58 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
9 routes
6 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
527k metro
San Luis Obispo has 3.2x fewer events per month than Huntsville.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Huntsville
categories won
Huntsville wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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