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→Lakeland
Lakeland has the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, on the Florida Southern College campus (designed in the 1940s, all skylights and copper). The city sits between Tampa and Orlando, with actual swans patrolling its namesake downtown lake (the city even has a swan management program). Publix is headquartered here, which Floridians treat as a point of pride.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,834/mo
$1,261/mo less than San Luis Obispo (69%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$301k
$633k 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
$6,499/mo
Lakeland has $2,036/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
206 days
97 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
48 / 100
20.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
68 routes
65 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
818k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.2x fewer events per month than Lakeland.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Lakeland
categories won
Lakeland wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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