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→Omaha
Omaha is the steakhouse capital of the prairie, home to Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett still eats at the same Dundee diner), and the Henry Doorly Zoo, which is consistently ranked among the best in the world. The Old Market downtown is brick-and-cobblestone charm. The Reuben sandwich claims to have been invented here, and the locals will fight you on it. Friendly to a fault.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,412/mo
$1,683/mo less than San Luis Obispo (119%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$306k
$628k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,435/mo
Omaha has $1,972/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
145 days
158 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
53 days
days below 20°F per year
Omaha drops below 20°F on 53 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
53 / 100
15.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
19 routes
16 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
985k metro
San Luis Obispo has 6.2x fewer events per month than Omaha.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Omaha
categories won
Omaha wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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