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→Orlando
Orlando is theme parks plus lake-dotted residential neighborhoods, a surprisingly good food scene, and one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the south. Winter Park is a charming brick-street pocket of art and brunch. The summer afternoon thunderstorms roll in at 3pm like clockwork. There's a swamp boardwalk within 15 minutes of wherever you are.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,937/mo
$1,158/mo less than San Luis Obispo (60%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$402k
$532k 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
$6,396/mo
Orlando has $1,933/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
216 days
87 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
10 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
146 routes
143 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.8M metro
San Luis Obispo has 15.6x fewer events per month than Orlando.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Orlando
categories won
Orlando wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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