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→York
York calls itself the White Rose City, claims to be America's first capital (Continental Congress met here briefly in 1777), and is the home of the Harley-Davidson assembly plant (factory tours available). The market houses in town go back over 100 years. The downtown is brick and walkable, the surrounding farm country is gorgeous, and the Susquehanna River is a quick drive east. Quietly historic.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$3,095/mo
$1,361/mo
$1,734/mo less than San Luis Obispo (127%)
Median home price
Median home price
$934k
$310k
$624k less than San Luis Obispo
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,463/mo
$6,717/mo
York has $2,254/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
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
San Luis Obispo has 10 more days above 95°F each year than York. York drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
68 / 100
64 / 100
4.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
3 routes
12 routes
9 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo
Metro size
Metro size
282k metro
465k metro
San Luis Obispo has 10.0x more events per month than York.
the verdict
3
San Luis Obispo
categories won
6
York
categories won
York wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.
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