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→Lafayette
Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,332/mo
$1,511/mo less than Honolulu (113%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$200k
$861k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,751/mo
Lafayette has $2,177/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
211 days
105 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Lafayette has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
43 / 100
12.0 pts behind Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
3 routes
48 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
414k metro
Honolulu has 19.0x more events per month than Lafayette.
the verdict
4
Honolulu
categories won
4
Lafayette
categories won
Honolulu wins on weather and lifestyle, Lafayette wins on money. Dead even.
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