| Measure | FresnoCalifornia, United States Remove Fresno | Santa BarbaraCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.6 | 6.2 |
| Connector Score | 8.2 | 8.4 |
| Safety | 4.1 | 7.1 |
| Affordability | 6.7 | 1.0 |
| Transportation | 10.0 | 7.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 8.5 | 6.0 |
| Walkability | 7.8 | 7.0 |
| Things to do | 6.2 | 6.0 |
| Food & dining | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Places to stay | 6.5 | 5.6 |
| Nature & outdoors | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| Scenic value | 4.8 | 8.5 |
| Family friendliness | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 6.0 | 6.3 |
| Nightlife | 6.7 | 3.9 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.2 | 4.4 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 8.0 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $115 | $220 |
| Mid-range | $173 | $385 |
| Luxury | $281 | $875 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 98 | 225 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,390 | $2,750 |
| Median home price | $389,000 | $1,780,000 |
| Population | 556K | 86K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Bus Airport | Drive Train Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Fresno | — | 3 h 47 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Car-free travel | Beaches, Wine country |
| Known for | National & state parks, Museums & galleries, Nightlife, Family & kids | Beaches, Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Historic sites, Food scene, Wineries & breweries, Shopping, Family & kids |
| When to go | Peak: Summer for Yosemite traffic and October… | Peak: Summer, holiday weekends and Fiesta wee… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.