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→Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is Moravian cookie traditions, old tobacco wealth (R.J. Reynolds), and Krispy Kreme's hometown (the original hot doughnut sign is still here). Old Salem is a living history Moravian village downtown. The food scene has picked up nicely, the arts scene leans on the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Slower-paced than its Triad neighbors. A little secret.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,508/mo
$1,587/mo less than San Luis Obispo (105%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$283k
$651k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,450/mo
Winston-Salem has $1,987/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
186 days
117 fewer than San Luis Obispo
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
14 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 6 more days above 95°F each year than Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
54 / 100
14.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
0 routes
3 fewer direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
696k metro
the verdict
4
San Luis Obispo
categories won
5
Winston-Salem
categories won
Winston-Salem wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your San Luis Obispo salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works