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→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→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$2,170/mo
$673/mo less than Honolulu (31%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$365k
$696k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$5,751/mo
Chicago has $1,177/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
153 days
163 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Chicago drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
70 / 100
15.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
217 routes
166 more direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
9.3M metro
Honolulu has 13.6x fewer events per month than Chicago.
the verdict
2
Honolulu
categories won
6
Chicago
categories won
Chicago wins on money and lifestyle. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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