Head to Head
Richmond, VA vs Santa Barbara, CA
Richmond leads with a Fun Score of 90, ahead by 10 points. Across 23 individual factors, Richmond wins 13 and Santa Barbara wins 10.
- Factor wins — Richmond
- 13 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Richmond, VA | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 85 | 88 Best |
| Drinks | 67 | 80 Best |
| Coffee | 72 | 89 Best |
| Live Music | 71 | 84 Best |
| Star Power | 70 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 64 Best | 63 |
| Culture | 88 Best | 80 |
| Events | 80 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 89 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 69 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 61 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 54 | 88 Best |
| Transit Quality | 69 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 76 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 77 Best | 62 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 57 | 83 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 70 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 36 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 10 Best | 17 |
| Disaster Risk | 7 Best | 73 |
| Weather Extremes | 60 | 4 Best |
| Economic Strain | 75 | 30 Best |
| 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 →