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→Phoenix
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,739/mo
$1,356/mo less than San Luis Obispo (78%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$458k
$476k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
2.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,386/mo
Phoenix has $1,923/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
181 days
122 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
133 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Phoenix has 119 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
66 / 100
2.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
91 routes
88 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
5.1M metro
San Luis Obispo has 19.9x fewer events per month than Phoenix.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Phoenix
categories won
Phoenix wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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