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→Springfield
Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66 (the road was officially named in a meeting here in 1926), Bass Pro Shops' world headquarters, and the gateway to the Ozarks. Wonders of Wildlife (next to the Bass Pro store) is genuinely one of the best aquariums in America. The city itself is friendly, affordable, and surprisingly leafy. Branson is 30 miles south for the lake-and-show experience.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,249/mo
$1,846/mo less than San Luis Obispo (148%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$268k
$666k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,693/mo
Springfield has $2,230/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
170 days
133 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
12 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
20 days
days below 20°F per year
Springfield drops below 20°F on 20 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
50 / 100
18.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
9 routes
6 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
491k metro
San Luis Obispo has 1.6x fewer events per month than Springfield.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Springfield
categories won
Springfield wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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