Head to Head
Santa Barbara, CA vs Oakland, CA
Santa Barbara leads with a Fun Score of 80, ahead by 13 points. Across 23 individual factors, Santa Barbara wins 14 and Oakland wins 8, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Santa Barbara
- 14 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Oakland
- 8 of 23
| Factor | Santa Barbara, CA | Oakland, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 88 Best | 80 |
| Drinks | 80 Best | 65 |
| Coffee | 89 Best | 83 |
| Live Music | 84 Best | 72 |
| Star Power | 41 | 80 Best |
| Outdoors | 63 Best | 43 |
| Culture | 80 Best | 74 |
| Events | 56 Best | 31 |
| Sports | 29 | 53 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 39 | 53 Best |
| City Vibe | 6 | 59 Best |
| Climate | 88 | 91 Best |
| Transit Quality | 59 | 90 Best |
| Walkability | 15 | 88 Best |
| Higher Education | 62 Best | 11 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 83 | 84 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 27 Best | 92 |
| Traffic | 8 Best | 87 |
| Air Quality | 17 Best | 26 |
| Disaster Risk | 73 Best | 87 |
| Weather Extremes | 4 Best | 7 |
| Economic Strain | 30 Best | 60 |
| 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 →