01 · the cities
Fresno
Fresno sits at the heart of the most productive farm region in the world, with almonds, grapes, and stone fruit stretching to every horizon. It's the gateway to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon (three of the country's best national parks all under two hours away). The food scene leans on incredible local produce and a deep Mexican and Hmong food culture. Underrated.
full dispatch→Fayetteville
Fayetteville is the University of Arkansas, Razorback football (call those hogs), and the Ozark mountains rising right outside town. The Walmart and Tyson HQ are in nearby Bentonville, which has reshaped the region's economy. The downtown square farmers market is one of the country's best. The food scene has grown up fast. Surprising for the region.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,999/mo
$1,606/mo
$393/mo less than Fresno (24%)
Median home price
Median home price
$418k
$367k
$50k less than Fresno
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,559/mo
$6,361/mo
Fayetteville has $802/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
206 days
170 days
36 fewer than Fresno
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
107 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
14 days
days below 20°F per year
Fresno has 91 more days above 95°F each year than Fayetteville. Fayetteville drops below 20°F on 14 more days per year than Fresno.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
66 / 100
64 / 100
2.0 pts behind Fresno
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
11 routes
14 routes
3 more direct routes than Fresno
Metro size
Metro size
1.2M metro
590k metro
Fresno has 4.8x more events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
3
Fresno
categories won
6
Fayetteville
categories won
Fayetteville wins on money. Fresno has the edge on weather.
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