Head to Head
Santa Barbara, CA vs Boulder, CO
Santa Barbara leads with a Fun Score of 80, ahead by 2 points. Across 23 individual factors, Santa Barbara wins 11 and Boulder wins 10, with 2 tied.
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 11 of 23
- Tied
- 2
- Factor wins — Boulder
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Santa Barbara, CA | Boulder, CO |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 88 Best | 83 |
| Drinks | 80 Best | 73 |
| Coffee | 89 | 89 |
| Live Music | 84 Best | 63 |
| Star Power | 41 Best | 31 |
| Outdoors | 63 | 84 Best |
| Culture | 80 Best | 57 |
| Events | 56 | 85 Best |
| Sports | 29 | 76 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 39 | 47 Best |
| City Vibe | 6 | 27 Best |
| Climate | 88 Best | 3 |
| Transit Quality | 59 | 77 Best |
| Walkability | 15 | 74 Best |
| Higher Education | 62 | 90 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 83 | 92 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 27 Best | 40 |
| Traffic | 8 Best | 9 |
| Air Quality | 17 Best | 88 |
| Disaster Risk | 73 | 18 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 4 Best | 71 |
| Economic Strain | 30 Best | 63 |
| 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 →