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→Richmond
Richmond is one of the only major U.S. cities with class IV whitewater rapids running right through downtown. The James River's Belle Isle is a public park where people sunbathe on boulders mid-river. The Fan and Carytown neighborhoods are full of murals, vintage shops, and porches built for sitting. The food scene leans creative, the beer scene leans plentiful, and VCU keeps the arts energy buzzing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,691/mo
$1,404/mo less than San Luis Obispo (83%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$394k
$540k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,163/mo
Richmond has $1,700/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
172 days
131 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
18 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
9 days
days below 20°F per year
Richmond drops below 20°F on 9 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
19 routes
16 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
1.4M metro
San Luis Obispo has 5.8x fewer events per month than Richmond.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Richmond
categories won
Richmond wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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