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closeSan Luis Obispo’s temperate climate and cultural attractions have helped earn it a place on U.S. News and World Report’s list of top 10 places to live.
This year, the report focused on “affordable communities that have strong economies and plenty of fun things to do.” Among the choices are Albuquerque, N.M., Boise, Idaho, and Austin, Texas.
San Luis Obispo — represented by Morro Rock in the magazine’s photo gallery — ranked well with its ideal location, low crime rate and cultural attractions.
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- Albuquerque, N.M.
- Auburn, Ala.
- Austin, Texas
- Boise, Idaho
- Durham, N.C.
- La Crosse, Wis.
- Loveland, Colo.
- San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- St. Augustine, Fla.
- Upper St. Clair, Pa.
“It’s good and bad,” said local resident Heidi Boatman, 62, of the report. “It’s real nice because they acknowledged what a nice place it is. It’s bad because other people might see it and want to move here!”
Boatman and her husband now live in their former vacation home in Grover Beach. They made it their permanent home once they retired from the Silicon Valley four years ago.
“There is no way we’re leaving this area,” she said. “The people, being by the beach, the weather. I can grow things here I couldn’t grow anywhere else.”
She said they often make the quick drive to San Luis Obispo for the restaurants and shopping. “It’s just a charming little city.”
Real estate agent Chad McPartland — a 22-year resident of San Luis Obispo — said he and his clients appreciate the college-town atmosphere.
“It keeps you youthful,” he said.
Besides Cal Poly, the small-city lifestyle also makes San Luis Obispo an attractive community, he said.
“I think you get a lot of people coming from big cities, and they’re tired of the congestion and the crime and the things (that) a lot of times (are) associated with big cities,” McPartland said.
Some drawbacks to the city the report included were health care — the report mistakenly lists zero hospitals in San Luis Obispo when there are in fact two — median household income and housing costs.
“We’ve had a shortage of housing here since World War II. … Less supply and more demand,” McFarland said.
In the past, San Luis Obispo has been featured as a “gem” in lists such as CNN’s 2008 “100 best places to live and launch” (ranked 78), Yahoo! Real Estate’s “The Ten Best Places to Live,” Sunset Magazine’s “10 dream towns in the West” and both editions of the book “Cities Ranked and Rated” (ranked third and nine in each edition).
The magazine's top 10 places to live are as follows:
- 1. Albuquerque, N.M.
- 2. Auburn, Ala.
- 3. Austin, Texas
- 4. Boise, Idaho
- 5. Durham, N.C.
- 6. La Crosse, Wis.
- 7. Loveland, Colo.
- 8. San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- 9. St. Augustine, Fla.
- 10. Upper St. Clair, Pa.
Read more at U.S. News and World Report.
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