Head to Head
San Francisco, CA vs Madison, WI
San Francisco leads with a Fun Score of 98, ahead by 4 points. Across 23 individual factors, San Francisco wins 14 and Madison wins 8, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — San Francisco
- 14 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Madison
- 8 of 23
| Factor | San Francisco, CA | Madison, WI |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 90 Best | 74 |
| Drinks | 88 Best | 84 |
| Coffee | 91 Best | 76 |
| Live Music | 90 Best | 71 |
| Star Power | 91 Best | 58 |
| Outdoors | 32 | 88 Best |
| Culture | 65 | 68 Best |
| Events | 90 Best | 42 |
| Sports | 78 Best | 40 |
| Unique Hangouts | 90 | 90 |
| City Vibe | 84 Best | 58 |
| Climate | 92 Best | 25 |
| Transit Quality | 91 Best | 78 |
| Walkability | 93 Best | 83 |
| Higher Education | 10 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 86 | 89 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 59 | 24 Best |
| Traffic | 89 | 18 Best |
| Air Quality | 13 Best | 49 |
| Disaster Risk | 78 | 28 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 1 Best | 89 |
| Economic Strain | 26 Best | 29 |
| Going-Out Cost | 82 | 8 Best |
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 →