Head to Head
San Francisco, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA
San Francisco leads with a Fun Score of 98, ahead by 18 points. Across 23 individual factors, San Francisco wins 16 and Santa Barbara wins 6, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — San Francisco
- 16 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 6 of 23
| Factor | San Francisco, CA | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 90 Best | 88 |
| Drinks | 88 Best | 80 |
| Coffee | 91 Best | 89 |
| Live Music | 90 Best | 84 |
| Star Power | 91 Best | 41 |
| Outdoors | 32 | 63 Best |
| Culture | 65 | 80 Best |
| Events | 90 Best | 56 |
| Sports | 78 Best | 29 |
| Unique Hangouts | 90 Best | 39 |
| City Vibe | 84 Best | 6 |
| Climate | 92 Best | 88 |
| Transit Quality | 91 Best | 59 |
| Walkability | 93 Best | 15 |
| Higher Education | 10 | 62 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 86 Best | 83 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 59 | 27 Best |
| Traffic | 89 | 8 Best |
| Air Quality | 13 Best | 17 |
| Disaster Risk | 78 | 73 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 1 Best | 4 |
| Economic Strain | 26 Best | 30 |
| 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 →