Head to Head
Charleston, SC vs Santa Barbara, CA
Charleston leads with a Fun Score of 89, ahead by 9 points. Across 23 individual factors, Charleston wins 13 and Santa Barbara wins 10.
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Charleston, SC | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 87 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 83 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 81 | 84 Best |
| Star Power | 65 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 76 Best | 63 |
| Culture | 90 Best | 80 |
| Events | 54 | 56 Best |
| Sports | 92 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 67 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 65 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 80 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 22 | 59 Best |
| Walkability | 37 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 80 Best | 62 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 11 | 83 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 21 Best | 27 |
| Traffic | 62 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 65 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 67 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 56 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 11 Best | 30 |
| 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 →