01 · the cities
Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut, sitting on Long Island Sound with a working harbor and a real waterfront. P.T. Barnum lived here and the city's museum still pays tribute to his weird genius. It's a quick train ride to New York, with much cheaper housing and proper New England summers. The food scene punches above its weight, with old-school Portuguese and Brazilian spots packed every weekend.
full dispatch→Columbia
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,767/mo
$1,551/mo
$1,216/mo less than Bridgeport (78%)
Median home price
Median home price
$768k
$255k
$513k less than Bridgeport
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,108/mo
$6,241/mo
Columbia has $1,133/mo more gross after rent at $100k
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
172 days
189 days
17 more than Bridgeport
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
27 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbia has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Bridgeport. Bridgeport drops below 20°F on 13 more days per year than Columbia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
55 / 100
9.0 pts behind Bridgeport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
10 routes
9 more direct routes than Bridgeport
Metro size
Metro size
952k metro
857k metro
Bridgeport has 2.7x fewer events per month than Columbia.
the verdict
3
Bridgeport
categories won
6
Columbia
categories won
Columbia leads on money and weather and wins overall.
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