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→Fort Collins
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,971/mo
$872/mo less than Honolulu (44%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$572k
$489k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$5,996/mo
Fort Collins has $1,422/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
177 days
139 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Fort Collins has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu. Fort Collins drops below 20°F on 44 more days per year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
69 / 100
14.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
169 routes
118 more direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
371k metro
Honolulu has 95.0x more events per month than Fort Collins.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
6
Fort Collins
categories won
Fort Collins wins on money and lifestyle. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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