01 · the cities
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is green chile on everything, the Sandia Mountains turning pink at sunset (the name literally means watermelon), and the Balloon Fiesta in October when 500+ hot air balloons fill the sky. The old town adobes feel like the 1700s, the food fuses Native, Mexican, and Spanish in ways you won't get anywhere else. Breaking Bad fans will recognize half the city, and locals are good-natured about it.
full dispatch→Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,489/mo
$1,434/mo
$55/mo less than Albuquerque (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$351k
$277k
$74k less than Albuquerque
State income tax
State income tax
5.9%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,353/mo
$6,358/mo
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
205 days
191 days
14 fewer than Albuquerque
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
34 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
6 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Albuquerque has 18 more days above 95°F each year than Spartanburg.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
81 / 100
68 / 100
13.0 pts behind Albuquerque
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
23 routes
20 routes
3 fewer direct routes than Albuquerque
Metro size
Metro size
924k metro
383k metro
Albuquerque has 2.8x more events per month than Spartanburg.
the verdict
4
Albuquerque
categories won
4
Spartanburg
categories won
Albuquerque wins on lifestyle, Spartanburg wins on money. Dead even.
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