Head to Head
Santa Barbara, CA vs Lexington, KY
Santa Barbara leads with a Fun Score of 80, ahead by 6 points. Across 23 individual factors, Santa Barbara wins 12 and Lexington wins 11.
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 0
- Factor wins — Lexington
- 11 of 23
| Factor | Santa Barbara, CA | Lexington, KY |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 88 Best | 47 |
| Drinks | 80 Best | 48 |
| Coffee | 89 Best | 32 |
| Live Music | 84 Best | 35 |
| Star Power | 41 | 47 Best |
| Outdoors | 63 Best | 22 |
| Culture | 80 Best | 50 |
| Events | 56 | 75 Best |
| Sports | 29 | 85 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 39 | 72 Best |
| City Vibe | 6 | 87 Best |
| Climate | 88 Best | 59 |
| Transit Quality | 59 Best | 47 |
| Walkability | 15 | 27 Best |
| Higher Education | 62 | 85 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 83 Best | 81 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 27 Best | 29 |
| Traffic | 8 Best | 26 |
| Air Quality | 17 | 5 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 73 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 4 Best | 27 |
| Economic Strain | 30 | 27 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 82 | 35 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 →