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→Reading
Reading is the Pagoda lit up on Mount Penn (a Japanese-style pavilion built in 1908 that's become the city symbol), old factory bones, and the surrounding Berks County farmland. The downtown food and art scene is growing into the old factory bones, with breweries and galleries opening steadily. Pretzels, scrapple, and Pennsylvania Dutch baking are everywhere. Cheaper than nearby Lancaster.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,478/mo
$1,617/mo less than San Luis Obispo (109%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$311k
$623k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,600/mo
Reading has $2,137/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
157 days
146 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Reading. Reading drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
65 / 100
3.0 pts behind 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
433k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.9x fewer events per month than Reading.
the verdict
4
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Reading
categories won
Reading wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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