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→Sacramento
Sacramento is California's capital and California's pantry, sitting at the heart of one of the most productive farm regions on earth. The 'Farm to Fork' food movement isn't marketing here, it's just dinner. Two rivers meet downtown, summer afternoons are dry and hot enough to justify ice cream as a meal, and Tahoe is a two-hour drive when you need elevation. It's quieter than its big-city neighbors and likes it that way.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$2,226/mo
$869/mo less than San Luis Obispo (39%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$589k
$345k 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
$5,332/mo
Sacramento has $869/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
211 days
92 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
56 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Sacramento has 42 more days above 95°F each year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
75 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
28 routes
25 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
2.4M metro
San Luis Obispo has 8.4x fewer events per month than Sacramento.
the verdict
2
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Sacramento
categories won
Sacramento wins on money and lifestyle. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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