01 · the cities
Chicago
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
full dispatch→Fort Collins
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,170/mo
$1,971/mo
$199/mo less than Chicago (10%)
Median home price
Median home price
$365k
$572k
$208k more than Chicago
State income tax
State income tax
5.0%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,751/mo
$5,996/mo
Fort Collins has $245/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
153 days
177 days
24 more than Chicago
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
1 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
38 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Fort Collins has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Chicago. Fort Collins drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Chicago.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
70 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
217 routes
169 routes
48 fewer direct routes than Chicago
Metro size
Metro size
9.3M metro
371k metro
Chicago has 1295.0x more events per month than Fort Collins.
the verdict
4
Chicago
categories won
4
Fort Collins
categories won
Chicago wins on weather and lifestyle, Fort Collins wins on money. Dead even.
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