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→Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is the Grand Strand's anchor, with 60 miles of beach, more than 80 mini golf courses (it might be the mini golf capital of America), and a boardwalk packed with arcades and pancake houses. Calabash-style fried seafood is a thing. It's a family beach town, full stop, with affordable oceanfront and easy access to Charleston a few hours south.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,727/mo
$1,368/mo less than San Luis Obispo (79%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$361k
$573k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $1,602/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
249 days
54 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
0 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 14 more days above 95°F each year than Myrtle Beach.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
58 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
23 routes
20 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
397k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.3x fewer events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Myrtle Beach leads on money and wins overall.
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