Head to Head
Portland, OR vs Santa Barbara, CA
Portland leads with a Fun Score of 83, ahead by 3 points. Across 23 individual factors, Portland wins 13 and Santa Barbara wins 9, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Portland
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 9 of 23
| Factor | Portland, OR | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 87 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 90 Best | 89 |
| Live Music | 90 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 81 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 59 | 63 Best |
| Culture | 65 | 80 Best |
| Events | 72 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 77 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 75 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 15 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 86 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 83 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 92 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 15 | 62 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 93 Best | 83 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 90 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 61 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 27 | 17 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 65 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 3 Best | 4 |
| Economic Strain | 54 | 30 Best |
| 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 →