| Measure | San Luis ObispoCalifornia, United States Remove San Luis Obispo | KenoshaWisconsin, United States Remove Kenosha | Santa CruzCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Cruz | DowneyCalifornia, United States Remove Downey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||||
| Overall score | 5.6 | 6.8 | 5.0 | 5.7 |
| Connector Score | 7.8 | 8.4 | 7.1 | 8.9 |
| Safety | 6.4 | 7.2 | 4.8 | 7.6 |
| Affordability | 2.8 | 7.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| Transportation | 7.0 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 8.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.5 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 5.5 |
| Walkability | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Things to do | 5.6 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 4.8 |
| Food & dining | 4.4 | 6.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Places to stay | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.9 |
| Nature & outdoors | 7.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| Scenic value | 7.8 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 6.3 |
| Family friendliness | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.0 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| Nightlife | 3.7 | 7.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.3 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.0 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 6.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||||
| Budget | $168 | $103 | $180 | $125 |
| Mid-range | $255 | $154 | $283 | $178 |
| Luxury | $459 | $252 | $509 | $311 |
| Living there | ||||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 140 | 93 | 170 | 150 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,925 | $1,150 | $2,771 | $2,100 |
| Median home price | $935,000 | $275,000 | $1,209,000 | $796,600 |
| Population | 51K | 99K | 62K | 108K |
| Getting there | ||||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Airport | Drive Train Airport | Drive | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — | — | — |
| Travel time from San Luis Obispo | — | Far | 3 h 18 min details | 4 h 3 min details |
| Character | ||||
| Best for | Beaches | Nightlife, Beaches | Beaches | Beaches |
| Known for | Beaches, Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping | Beaches, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Nightlife, Live music, Shopping | Beaches, Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Live music | Beaches, Lakes & rivers, Historic sites, Live music, Shopping |
| When to go | — | Peak: Summer and holiday shopping weekends | Peak: Summer weekends and holidays are highes… | — |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.