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→Ocala
Ocala is the horse capital of the world (it actually has more thoroughbred horses than Lexington, Kentucky), with rolling hills of horse farms unlike anywhere else in Florida. Silver Springs (one of the largest artesian springs in the world) is right next door, with glass-bottom boats and clear blue water. Surprisingly hilly. Slower than the coastal cities, with a quietly strong equestrian economy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,616/mo
$1,479/mo less than San Luis Obispo (92%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$277k
$658k 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
$6,717/mo
Ocala has $2,254/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
208 days
95 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
15 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
62 / 100
6.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
5 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
410k metro
San Luis Obispo has 10.0x more events per month than Ocala.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
4
Ocala
categories won
Ocala wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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