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→Lafayette
Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,332/mo
$1,763/mo less than San Luis Obispo (132%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$200k
$734k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,751/mo
Lafayette has $2,288/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
211 days
92 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Lafayette.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
43 / 100
25.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
3 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
414k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.0x more events per month than Lafayette.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Lafayette
categories won
Lafayette wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on lifestyle.
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