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→Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental U.S. by land area, which means everything is 20 minutes from everything else and most of those 20 minutes involve a bridge. The St. Johns River cuts the city in half, the beaches are a quick drive east, and the food scene leans seafood and surprisingly excellent BBQ. It's a Florida city without the theme-park vibe.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,679/mo
$1,416/mo less than San Luis Obispo (84%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$358k
$576k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,654/mo
Jacksonville has $2,191/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
198 days
105 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Jacksonville has 13 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
64 / 100
4.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
26 routes
23 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
1.7M metro
San Luis Obispo has 5.2x fewer events per month than Jacksonville.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Jacksonville
categories won
Jacksonville wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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