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→San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$2,890/mo
$205/mo less than San Luis Obispo (7%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$1.0M
$76k more 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
$4,668/mo
San Diego has $205/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
332 days
29 more than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
75 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
55 routes
52 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
3.3M metro
San Luis Obispo has 17.4x fewer events per month than San Diego.
the verdict
1
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
San Diego
categories won
San Diego wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
run your numbers
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