| Measure | SalinasCalifornia, United States Remove Salinas | ChicoCalifornia, United States Remove Chico |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.0 | 6.8 |
| Connector Score | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Safety | 5.7 | 7.0 |
| Affordability | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| Transportation | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.5 | 6.0 |
| Walkability | 4.2 | 7.6 |
| Things to do | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| Food & dining | 5.6 | 4.7 |
| Places to stay | 6.2 | 5.7 |
| Nature & outdoors | 7.5 | 9.0 |
| Scenic value | 7.3 | 6.5 |
| Family friendliness | 7.1 | 5.4 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| Nightlife | 3.2 | 4.5 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $120 | $115 |
| Mid-range | $180 | $168 |
| Luxury | $324 | $279 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 133 | 110 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $2,100 | $1,550 |
| Median home price | $730,000 | $475,000 |
| Population | 159K | 105K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Airport | Drive Train Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Salinas | — | 5 h details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors | Outdoors, National parks |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Shopping, Family & kids | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Wineries & breweries, Live music, Shopping |
| When to go | Peak: Summer and around the California Rodeo… | Peak: CSU graduation, move-in and football we… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.