Head to Head
Madison, WI vs Santa Barbara, CA
Madison leads with a Fun Score of 96, ahead by 15 points. Across 23 individual factors, Madison wins 14 and Santa Barbara wins 9.
- Factor wins — Madison
- 14 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 9 of 23
| Factor | Madison, WI | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 74 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 84 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 76 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 70 | 85 Best |
| Star Power | 58 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 88 Best | 63 |
| Culture | 68 | 80 Best |
| Events | 54 | 65 Best |
| Sports | 47 Best | 27 |
| Unique Hangouts | 90 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 58 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 25 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 78 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 83 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 90 Best | 62 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 89 Best | 83 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 24 Best | 27 |
| Traffic | 18 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 46 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 28 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 89 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 29 Best | 30 |
| Going-Out Cost | 8 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 →