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→Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the Strip's neon dream, the desert's quiet edges, and a food scene that has quietly become world-class on the back of all those visiting chefs. Red Rock Canyon is 20 minutes from the Bellagio fountains, which is a useful reset button. Pools open in April and parties go until sunrise. Locals know the best restaurants are always one block off the Strip.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,731/mo
$1,364/mo less than San Luis Obispo (79%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$451k
$484k 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
$6,602/mo
Las Vegas has $2,139/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
210 days
93 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
104 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Las Vegas has 90 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
80 / 100
12.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
133 routes
130 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.3M metro
San Luis Obispo has 350.8x fewer events per month than Las Vegas.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Las Vegas
categories won
Las Vegas wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your San Luis Obispo salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works