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→Austin
Austin runs on breakfast tacos, live music, and a stubborn streak of weirdness that the tech boom hasn't fully smoothed over. The east side reinvents itself every few years and still has the vinyl shops, vintage western wear, and honky-tonks to prove it. Barton Springs holds 68°F year-round and locals plan their summers around it. There's a swimming hole, a taco truck, or a guitar within five blocks of wherever you're standing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,583/mo
$1,260/mo less than Honolulu (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$433k
$628k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,750/mo
Austin has $2,176/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
170 days
146 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
53 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Austin has 53 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
56 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
42 routes
9 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
2.5M metro
Honolulu has 1.3x fewer events per month than Austin.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
4
Austin
categories won
Austin wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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