Head to Head
Asheville, NC vs Santa Barbara, CA
Asheville leads with a Fun Score of 87, ahead by 7 points. Across 23 individual factors, Asheville wins 12 and Santa Barbara wins 11.
- Factor wins — Asheville
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 11 of 23
| Factor | Asheville, NC | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 90 Best | 88 |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 84 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 91 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 32 | 41 Best |
| Outdoors | 61 | 63 Best |
| Culture | 86 Best | 80 |
| Events | 59 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 92 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 81 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 49 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 68 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 41 | 59 Best |
| Walkability | 49 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 25 | 62 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 36 | 83 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 87 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 10 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 7 Best | 17 |
| Disaster Risk | 14 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 23 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 50 | 30 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 35 Best | 82 |
Scores are 0–100 percentile ranks. For drawback factors (crime, traffic, etc.) a lower number is better — the Best badge marks whichever city has less. Full methodology →