Head to Head
Boston, MA vs Santa Barbara, CA
Boston leads with a Fun Score of 98, ahead by 18 points. Across 23 individual factors, Boston wins 11 and Santa Barbara wins 12.
- Factor wins — Boston
- 11 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 12 of 23
| Factor | Boston, MA | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 78 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 63 | 80 Best |
| Coffee | 85 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 92 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 91 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 58 | 63 Best |
| Culture | 74 | 80 Best |
| Events | 79 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 65 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 58 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 88 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 35 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 92 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 91 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 87 Best | 62 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 72 | 83 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 34 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 88 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 20 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 26 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 26 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 45 | 30 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 59 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 →