01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Allentown
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,809/mo
$1,034/mo less than Honolulu (57%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$359k
$702k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,269/mo
Allentown has $1,695/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
316 days
157 days
159 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Allentown drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
73 / 100
18.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
9 routes
42 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
874k metro
Honolulu has 3.5x more events per month than Allentown.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Allentown
categories won
Allentown wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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