Head to Head
Denver, CO vs Santa Barbara, CA
Denver leads with a Fun Score of 83, ahead by 3 points. Across 23 individual factors, Denver wins 13 and Santa Barbara wins 9, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Denver
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 9 of 23
| Factor | Denver, CO | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 84 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 88 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 87 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 91 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 83 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 74 Best | 63 |
| Culture | 69 | 80 Best |
| Events | 89 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 81 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 56 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 80 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 9 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 72 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 84 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 17 | 62 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 92 Best | 83 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 86 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 70 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 88 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 34 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 64 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 29 Best | 30 |
| Going-Out Cost | 82 | 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 →