Head to Head
Portland, ME vs Santa Barbara, CA
Portland leads with a Fun Score of 100, ahead by 20 points. Across 23 individual factors, Portland wins 16 and Santa Barbara wins 7.
- Factor wins — Portland
- 16 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 7 of 23
| Factor | Portland, ME | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 89 Best | 88 |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 86 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 87 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 44 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 89 Best | 63 |
| Culture | 91 Best | 80 |
| Events | 82 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 92 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 89 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 92 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 28 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 66 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 89 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 8 | 62 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 29 | 83 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 26 Best | 27 |
| Traffic | 17 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 25 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 5 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 42 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 3 Best | 30 |
| 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 →