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→Oxnard
Oxnard is California's strawberry capital, where the fields literally run up to the beach. Channel Islands Harbor is a quiet alternative to the busier Ventura and Santa Barbara, with great seafood and a chill Mexican food scene. The weather is the perfect 65-and-overcast that locals call 'June gloom' for most of summer. The Channel Islands themselves are a ferry ride away.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$2,995/mo
$100/mo less than San Luis Obispo (3%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$923k
$12k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$4,563/mo
Oxnard has $100/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
342 days
39 more 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 Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
74 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
0 routes
3 fewer direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
830k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.4x fewer events per month than Oxnard.
the verdict
1
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Oxnard
categories won
Oxnard wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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