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→Olympia
Olympia is the Washington state capital, much smaller and chiller than Seattle. Evergreen State College gives it a hippie-anarchist energy (the riot grrrl music movement essentially started here, with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney's name coming from a local road). The capitol dome is one of the tallest in the country. Puget Sound oysters are the regional star. Mossy, mellow, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,991/mo
$1,104/mo less than San Luis Obispo (55%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$533k
$402k 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
$6,342/mo
Olympia has $1,879/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
182 days
121 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
2 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Olympia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
80 / 100
12.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
90 routes
87 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
299k metro
the verdict
1
San Luis Obispo
categories won
7
Olympia
categories won
Olympia wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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