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→Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,517/mo
$1,578/mo less than San Luis Obispo (104%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$384k
$550k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,561/mo
Lancaster has $2,098/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
158 days
145 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
25 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Lancaster. Lancaster drops below 20°F on 25 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
63 / 100
5.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
1 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
559k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.5x fewer events per month than Lancaster.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Lancaster
categories won
Lancaster wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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