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→Baltimore
Baltimore is steamed crabs with Old Bay, the Inner Harbor at golden hour, and row houses with painted screens. Edgar Allan Poe is buried here, John Waters still lives here, and Cal Ripken Jr. is a saint. The seafood is genuinely some of the best on the east coast. The neighborhoods (Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill) each feel like their own small town.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,868/mo
$975/mo less than Honolulu (52%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$412k
$649k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$5,782/mo
Baltimore has $1,208/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
168 days
148 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Baltimore drops below 20°F on 21 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
66 / 100
11.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
72 routes
21 more direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
2.8M metro
Honolulu has 1.4x more events per month than Baltimore.
the verdict
2
Honolulu
categories won
6
Baltimore
categories won
Baltimore wins on money and lifestyle. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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