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→Raleigh
Raleigh is the third leg of the Research Triangle, full of oaks (its nickname is the City of Oaks), state museums that are all free, and a downtown that's grown up fast without losing its quiet edges. NC State pumps young energy in, the food scene is sneaky-good, and the surrounding pine forests make summer evenings smell incredible. Beaches are two hours east, mountains three hours west.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,663/mo
$1,432/mo less than San Luis Obispo (86%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$440k
$494k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,295/mo
Raleigh has $1,832/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
201 days
102 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
5 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 9 more days above 95°F each year than Raleigh.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
58 / 100
10.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
39 routes
36 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
1.5M metro
San Luis Obispo has 4.7x fewer events per month than Raleigh.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
Raleigh
categories won
Raleigh leads on money and wins overall.
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