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→Des Moines
Des Moines is the Iowa State Fair every August (think butter cows, deep-fried everything, and the political circus of every presidential cycle), insurance industry stability, and a downtown that's grown into a genuinely good food and brewery scene. The East Village neighborhood is the cool kid pocket. The whole city is bikeable. Friendly, affordable, and chronically underestimated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,767/mo
$1,268/mo
$1,499/mo less than Bridgeport (118%)
Median home price
Median home price
$768k
$300k
$468k less than Bridgeport
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
6.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,108/mo
$6,565/mo
Des Moines has $1,457/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
151 days
21 fewer than Bridgeport
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Des Moines has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Bridgeport. Des Moines drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Bridgeport.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
55 / 100
9.0 pts behind Bridgeport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
17 routes
16 more direct routes than Bridgeport
Metro size
Metro size
952k metro
737k metro
Bridgeport has 6.6x fewer events per month than Des Moines.
the verdict
5
Bridgeport
categories won
4
Des Moines
categories won
Bridgeport wins on weather. Des Moines has the edge on money.
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