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→Toledo
Toledo is the Glass City, with a long history of glassmaking (Owens-Illinois, Libbey, Pilkington), and the Toledo Museum of Art's glass pavilion is genuinely world-class and free. The Mud Hens (yes, Klinger's team) play minor league ball downtown. Sitting between Detroit and Cleveland on Lake Erie, Toledo has serious walleye fishing and a real lake-town pace. Cheaper than its bigger neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,197/mo
$1,898/mo less than San Luis Obispo (159%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$196k
$738k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,804/mo
Toledo has $2,341/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
159 days
144 fewer 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
38 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Toledo. Toledo drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
55 / 100
13.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
600k metro
San Luis Obispo has 2.5x fewer events per month than Toledo.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Toledo
categories won
Toledo wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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